SOLDIERs of the WRO
by StrifesLove
Summary: After the events of Dirge of Cerberus Cloud finds himself thinking of his best friend Zack. When one phone call from Reno changes his life forever. A ZackXCloud fanfic.
1. Authors note

Hello my dearest readers. I know I have not written a chapter for this story in a long time. Life caught up with me and I have spent a long and hard battle for my health. However I can now return to writing and am looking forward to finishing it. However there is something that needs to be done first.

When I went to refresh my memory by reading the story again I noticed several plot holes and places I could have make smoother. Seeing as I had gone through three Beta readers in the stores life time and all had very different styles the fanfiction was looking really rough (especially the first chapters). So for the past few months my wonderful Beta reader DragonGirl323 and I have been rewriting and editing everything. From chapter 1 on.

We have finished the first six chapters which I would like to present to you as a Christmas present. Many of the chapters have had to be rewritten entirely and there for you need to read the story all over again to really get the later chapters. There is more CloudXZack, a deeper look into Clouds relations with other characters, and Cloud is more in character than before.

Thank you to those of you who chose to stay with this story and to all those just getting into SOLDIERs of the WRO I welcome you to a better fanfiction than before.


	2. Snowfall & A Phone Call

SOLDIERs of the WRO

Learn from the past

Wonder for today

Listen to tomorrow

For time is the greatest teacher of all

Word Count: 1099

Thank you all for giving this story a chance at life again.

Enjoy

Eight years...has it really only been that long? It feels more like an eternity has gone by. Zack, why did you have to die that day? Why did you leave me here to face the world by myself? Why didn't you just run away and save yourself?

These thoughts and more had been occupying my mind as of late ever since I had gotten my head straight. The memories of our time together were the clearest and dearest to me, even more than those of my childhood home. Zack had always been there for me even during the years as Hojo's pet. The times he would talk to me and just hold me in his arms, letting me know it was going to be alright again someday.

New snow covered my window sill at the Seventh Heaven Bar. It had been snowing for three days now and the roads were closed so my deliveries had come a screeching halt, the snow held no traces of the Mako's blue green tint anymore. Both Denzel and Marlene had taken advantage of it, having huge snow ball fights with the other orphans. Reeve and Rufus both were doing a good job cleaning up the planet of Shinra's past damages. Still starring at the fresh snow my mind could not help but flash back to Zack laying on a blood soaked battle ground and hearing from a distance my own cry of utter loss.

"Why?" I questioned out loud as Tifa came walking in with a phone in her hand looking worried. Tifa looking worried was nothing new nowadays. I knew I was a big part of why she normally has that look on her face. That is why I try not to be around a whole lot.

"Phone call for you, Cloud," she said, trying her best to smile at me. "It's Reno, he says he has something important to talk to you about." Giving me one last look she sat the cordless phone on the bed and walked out of the doorway back to the main bar and her costumers.

I sighed, getting up, and picked up the phone. "Reno?"

"Cloud! Hey man! How have you been doing lately? Delivery business going well for you?" He asked.

"I get by fairly well," I replied, sinking back into my chair.

"I hear you're gone an awful lot goin' from one end of the planet to the other. Least that's how Yuffie paints the picture."

"I have heard what she thinks of my career choice," I said, not being able to fight the impulse to rub my eyes in irritation.

"Ya, I bet. Well let me get straight to the point then." He paused briefly before continuing."You know how the WRO is trying to keep the peace and lower monster populations, right?"

"Yes, I have heard about that."

"Well, we've been losing a lot of people to monsters. Most are just too tough for normal folk to deal with and AVALANCHE can only do so much. So, with a little planetary help, we came up with a idea kinda like that of SOLDIER. You know, to keep the monsters down and the planet safe from threats like Sephiroth and Jenova."

"Planetary help?" I asked, not quite understanding what he meant.

"Well, it's mostly the planets power we use to boost SOLDIER. With its permission mind you, we learned our lesson with the planet already," he answered, sounding proud of himself.

"And you want me to join your new SOLDIER group?" I inquired, an amused tilt of my lips the only outward sign of my inner thoughts.

"Yep, you got it, Cloud. We already have a few exSOLDIER's signed up. So what do ya say?"

Looking once again at the snow covered window sill, I sighed deeply. I wanted nothing more than to accept his offer but something just felt wrong about it.

"No, Reno, I can't do that again. SOLDIER, even if it is the WRO's SOLDIER, is still just that in the end. And I don't want any part of it. Besides, I didn't even make it into Shinra's SOLDIER. I was still a grunt when Sephiroth went mad," I explained.

"What? But Cloud, you are already doing most of the stuff the WRO SOLDIER's do! And as for the past stuff with you being a grunt, that's ancient history. Come on, Cloud. We both know you're a first class in all but title thanks to Hojo and if you joined up even that would be rectified. We can pay you big gil for your work too. Then you don't have to run that delivery service anymore."

"And what makes you think I want to quit my delivery service?" I asked, starting to get testy with him."I can live on the gil I make now."

"Come on, Cloud, just think. You can finally put Fenrir to good use. It was built for combat, not making deliveries. And with all the extra gil you could help give Avalanche more funds to do what they need to do."

"Reno, you are not getting me to do this. Tell Rufus that I will not join SOLDIER ever again, even if he is willing to pay me five thousand gil a hour."

I heard Reno huff on the other end of the line. "Alright, Spikes, if you change your mind then let me know. Your replacement isn't one that Reeve or Rufus wanted to have to put up with".

"He can't be so bad that Rufus would want me over him."

"Let's just say he gets a kick out of the humiliation of others, yo. It's also someone we need to use the Planet's power on. The less we use it though the safer the Planet is because it puts a fairly big strain on her power. We also can only use this with the permission of Aerith. She is the master mind behind it all, actually. Who'd of thunk it, right? She must be angling a holiday for you or something," he said, continuing to ramble on like usual.

"Aerith is alright with this?" I asked, thinking I had heard wrong. Not that I was really surprised about her going so far as to interfere and interact with the Planet, but for her to be alright with SOLDIER again was just a little bit shocking.

"Yeah I know shocking right? Well, anyway got to let Rufus know. See ya, Cloud." And with that Reno hung up, leaving me with even more to think about as I sat looking at the snow drifting past the window.


	3. Old Memories & Annoying Redheads

Chapter Two

Fear not death

Want not for life

Live for today

For tomorrow may never come

Word Count: 2634

The week passed by in relative peace despite the fact that Reno was still calling and the snow storms were only getting worse. Apparently, both Rufus and Reeve weren't ready to accept defeat on the matter of recruiting me for SOLDIER. Their insistence didn't matter though. They could have bothered me every hour of every day for the rest of my life and it still would not have changed my mind.

Despite having gotten my replacement recruited and into training Rufus still wanted me, the so called hero of the world, to join SOLDIER again. Reno had proudly told me that not even the other SOLDIER's knew of Rufus's attempts to recruit me. Apparently, Rufus didn't want them to get there hopes up that the hero Cloud Strife might be joining them. So instead he told the First's that I had died during the snow storm while on my way home. I was not happy about this last bit at all.

I understood where Rufus was coming from and I knew it was a smart move, but I didn't have to like it. Even if the First's had told the other SOLDIER's to leave Seventh Heaven alone, Reno was bad enough calling all the time. Still I didn't want to dash the other First's spirits when Rufus finally told them the truth and that I was not going to be joining.

Because Aerith, Rufus, and Reeve where right. The Planet needed more powerful fighters to keep the people safe. SOLDIER, in the right hands, could provide that extra protection and security. If I had to die for a little while then so be it. I would just make a miraculous return from the dead once all this is over.

On the eighth day after the calls started, the snow storms got so bad that the phones were practically useless. I was so happy I could get through the day without hearing Reno beg me to join SOLDIER. Of course my relief was short lived when Reno, cold and snow covered, came to Seventh Heaven to talk to me face to face. I would have run out the back door if I had the time. Instead, I took a deep breath and offered to get the frozen red head a warm ale and a booth by the heater.

Once Reno had his ale and I had a glass of red wine we went to sit down. He was silent while he warmed his hands and shook the melted snow from his hair. It only took the red headed Turk a few moments to start the inevitable conversation that I knew was coming.

"So, Cloud, have you changed you mind at all? If you came to work with us you could be making a lot of gil right now instead of sitting at home waiting to go out on a delivery," he said, grinning slyly.

"No, Reno, and I am not going to join SOLDIER. Not now and not ever," I snapped, my irritation rearing its head like a venomous snake.

"Why?" He exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. "It's not like its Shinra or anything for Shiva's sake man! It's the WRO! You know, the company that has been _helping_ the world for two years now. Reeve would never allow the torture or experimentation of anyone much less his own employees."

"It doesn't matter if it's the WRO's SOLDIER or not. The missions are still there, the classes, the schedules, the people who used to work for the old SOLDIER. For me, that's all that matters in my eyes. Avalanche holds fairly good memories for me while SOLDIER holds nothing but pain and regret," I retorted, staring down into my wine glass and wishing I wasn't have this conversation right now.

"The memories of being in SOLDIER are worse than the memory of watching Aerith die?" Reno asked, staring at me with a stunned expression on his face.

"Yeah, much worse," I replied, continuing to stare down at my half finished wine and thinking about getting something a bit stronger once it was gone.

"What could be worse than losing your girlfriend to a raving lunatic? Sorry, Cloud, but I am having a hard time thinking of anything worse than that," Reno said, quickly swallowing the last drops of his ale and looking at me seriously.

"It's not just one event that's making me reluctant to join SOLDIER. It's Hojo and all the bad experiences I had as a cadet. While I don't remember everything from when I was pretending to be Zack, I still know a fair amount about Shinra," I answered.

"How bad could it have been?" He asked, acting like it was the simplest thing in the world. "I mean you were top of your class, right?"

"Not even close. I might have been good with a sword but my grades left much to be desired. Remember, I failed the SOLDIER exams."

"I thought that was because of your bad reaction to Mako."

"Not just that. I'm afraid my paper exam scores were fairly pitiful," I explained.

I looked away in embarrassment as shock registered on Reno's face. As soon as he began laughing my face turned cherry red. All of the other bar patrons looked over to see what all the fuss was about, which only made me feel even more self-conscious. Reno continued to guffaw obnoxiously until he was gasping for air and tears were leaking from his eyes. I stared at the wall in joint disapproval and embarrassment as anger began burning behind my Mako infused eyes. The red head across from me finally regained his composure a few moments later and straightened in his seat.

"Are you finished I hope?" I asked, squeezing my hands into tight fists over his childishness.

Reno nodded, still snickering to himself. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good," I snapped. "Anyways, I've always been picked on for my size. I was only 4 foot 8 when I first signed up as a cadet. So when I still beat up people nearly two feet taller than I was they started ganging up on me. I spent most of my time trying to survive instead of concentrating on my studies."

"Wow, if I was you, Cloud, I would have gone to a superior and told them the moment it started," Reno replied as he laced his fingers behind his head.

"I didn't want to seem weak in their eyes. If anything those guys would have picked on me more if I had told someone about them. But, as it was, someone higher up still ending up finding out about it."

"Really? Well good for them then if they stopped it, but I would have liked to kick all their asses if they turned a deaf ear to it. I've seen people like that before. Hojo was one of 'em. That old psycho was the cause of nearly every bad experiment that ever came out of Shinra's labs. Anyways, who found out about it?" He asked, having no idea the dangerous ground he was treading on. I visibly tensed up at the mention of my old tormentor but relaxed when Reno said nothing more about him.

"It was someone I met on a mission not long before. The day he found out what was going on was pretty much similar to this one," I answered, jutting my thumb over my shoulder, indicating the snow blowing through the air outside. "A bad snow storm was rolling through and training was canceled for the day. I was making my way to the cafeteria when I was confronted by the same group of seven guys that had made a habit out of making my life miserable."

"What!" Reno exclaimed, standing up on his side of the booth and slapping his hands down on the polished table top. "You got cornered by a group of seven guys and got your ass handed to you? Man, if I was there I would have kicked every single one of those guys asses so hard they would be crying for their moms by the end of it!"

I rolled my eyes at his over exaggeration. "Sit down, Reno," I hissed harshly, noticing that a great deal of the bar patrons were staring at us. "Do I really have to remind you that I was only fifteen years old? And, while I may have been talented, every single one of these guys where around six feet tall. If they met me in a dark alley today the outcome would definitely not be the same."

Reno, who probably would have been laughing hysterically at the thought of seven six foot tall muscular guys getting beat up by me then running away screaming for their mothers, was keeping a surprising handle on his emotions. He wove his hand through the air indicating me to continue.

"Well I was about to lose consciousness when I heard someone yell. I couldn't exactly make out what they said but those guys scattered so fast it took me a few seconds to realize it. I blacked out soon after but I still remember him standing over me and asking me if I was going to be alright," I said, pausing to swirl my wine around in my glass and take a large swig from it. Remembering to get something stronger from Tifa jumped to the forefront of my mind but I didn't feel like getting up. "Anyways, when I came around I was in the medical wing and that same guy was there arguing with one of the nurses. He was saying something about staying longer than visiting hours."

"Ha, poor guy," Reno chuckled. "If he got Nurse Nickson he had about a snow ball's chance with Ifrit for getting to stay even one minute longer."

I smiled half-heartedly, knowing exactly who he was talking about. I had my own horror stories about good ol' Nurse Nickson but those stay tucked away. "It was actually Nurse Ross, but she had told him to leave. Even then after she had left he hung around and came back over to my bed. He asked how I was feeling and I told him I felt like fifty miles of bad road. He ended up getting a pretty good kick out of that and told me I'd get over it soon enough. After that we ended up being best friends and having a lot of adventures together. Well as much as a grunt and a First Class SOLDIER can have anyway," I said, feeling the corners of my mouth pull up.

"See?" Reno said, a smile of his own pulling up one side of his mouth. "You have a lot of good memories from SOLDIER too. You got a best buddy out of it and a First Class SOLDIER buddy on top of it. What was his name anyway? Maybe he's rejoined our SOLDIER and you can get back together. It'll be like old times again."

I took a deep, calming breath and shook my head. "No, Reno... He died on a cliff about five miles away from a Midgar reactor nearly eight years ago. Zack isn't coming back to SOLDIER and you know that," I said, my voice becoming thick.

"Wait," the Turk said, his red eyebrows scrunching together. "You mean you knew Zack Fair before all the Hojo stuff went down?"

"Yeah, I did. We had a lot of fun together and were best friends despite our rank differences. What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, wondering where he was going with his question.

He snickered and scooted forward in his seat, pressing his chest up against the table. "Alright, so just to say if Zack was still alive and was actually a part of the WRO's SOLDIER program, would you be willing to join then?" He asked, his bright teal eyes boring into mine.

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach at his revelation but I wasn't about to get my hopes up. "Yes, I would," I answered without a second thought. "If Zack is somehow still alive then I would go so far as joining Sephiroth just for a chance to see him again and that is not an over exaggeration."

"Damn, does Zack really mean that much to you?" Reno inquired, relaxing against the back of the bench and crossing his arms loosely over his chest.

"Reno, I became Zack in my mind because I couldn't let him go after his death. I miss him so much and it's only gotten worse. I've thought of him every day since he died and I just can't get him off my mind. Zack...was my sanity. He still is," I answered, feeling my heart pound against the inside of my rib cage. "So yes he meant that much to me."

For a while the only thing that heard I heard was Tifa cleaning the bar and the low din of the few bar patrons that were left. Reno broke the silence then with a very random, out of place question.

"Were you really all that different in SOLDIER, Cloud?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. "I really can't see you as anyone more than the mopey, depressed guy you've always been. Well at least since I've known you."

One of my rare smiles managed to make its way on my face and silently thanked Shiva for the change in subject. I answered his question in good spirits.

"You would be in for the shock of your life then if you went back in time and saw me. Sure, I was still level headed and a bit quieter - well a lot quieter – than Zack but you'd still hear the drill instructors shouting my name through the halls just as often as Zack's was," I said, trying to hold back laughter of my own.

"Wow, maybe we don't want you back in SOLDIER then. We don't need to give Rufus and Reeve a double headache. Especially since your replacement is already driving them both insane," he said, a sly smile working its way onto his face.

I chuckled and leaned forward. "Zack and I once played a practical joke on Sephiroth. Did you know he is deadly afraid of snakes?"

"No!" He exclaimed, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. "I'm dying to know what ya did to him yo!"

"Long story short, we took a bunch of stuffed toy snakes, placed them all around his room and on his bed while he was sleeping. The next morning we were hiding outside his room around the time that he woke up every morning just waiting. Right on time, we heard Sephiroth screaming like a little girl. He ran out of his room a few minutes later and ran right by us, screaming our names as he went. Later after he finally found us, we ended up in so much trouble I wish we hadn't done it but now, when I look back at it, I realize that it was completely worth it!" I said, attempting to hold back my snorts of laughter but failing miserably.

Reno had fallen out of his seat halfway through my story, rolling around on the floor and holding his stomach. He was laughing so hard that tears were leaking out of his eyes. Right then the bar door opened, letting in a flurry of snow from outside. I frowned and looked over my shoulder, wondering who could possibly be coming at such a late hour. It was nearly closing time and Tifa had already done last call. As soon as I saw who had come through the door, with his usual long strides, I could not help the gasp that left me.


	4. Our Reunion

Chapter 3

Courage is the magic

that turns dreams

into reality

Word count: 3836

Rude walked through the door and up to the bar were Tifa was currently standing. My surprise was quickly replaced by an intense need to sleep somewhere other than Seventh Heaven tonight if Rude was going to be staying. No one in Avalanche was against Tifa and Rude's relationship, I personally was very happy for Tifa, however they weren't exactly the quietest love makers either. The walls of Seventh Heaven really aren't the thickest and the thumping, moaning, and screaming that come from down the hall when Rude spends the night are always uncomfortable.

"Rude, what are you doing here, partner?" Reno asked as he stood up and staggered over to stand beside him.

"Yeah, Rude, what are you doing here?" Tifa commented as she reached across the counter and gave him a small, shy kiss that I turned away from.

"I'm just coming to take the red head off your hands. We don't need him drunk to the point of no return for work in the morning," the bald headed Turk replied.

I stood up, nodding to both Reno and Rude before walking up stairs to the room I had been sleeping in for the past two weeks. Once the silence of my empty room settled over me the events of the morning really hit me. Sitting on the bed, I looked across the room to where a single photo of Zack and I in SOLDIER was hanging on the wall. Tears filled my eyes and slid down my cheeks as I looked away from the hanging memory.

"Zack, I'll never forget you. I am your living legacy," I murmured.

Four days passed before I heard from or saw Reno again. The snow had finally stopped falling and the roads were clear. I had started packing Fenrir up for my first delivery in a few days when he practically stomped up to me outside the Seventh Heaven looking unusually serious and tired, demanding to talk to me immediately.

I knew it must have been important since he hadn't sauntered up to me with his signature smirk on his face so I invited him inside. When a Turk was serious about something you listened. Five minutes later, Reno and I were seated at a booth with warm mugs of an ale and cider mix Tifa made us. I waited patiently for Reno as he took a long drag of the mixture.

"You said you would join SOLDIER if Zack joined right, Cloud?" Reno inquired, staring at me over the lip of his mug.

Carefully and slowly I nodded my head "Yes, I would, but it's impossible Reno. Zack's dead. He died a long time ago and the dead don't come back to life," I answered, clenching my hands around my mug to prevent myself from strangling him.

"Are ya sure about that, Spiky? You can't remember when someone might have been brought back to life by the Planet for its own protection? Maybe a favored weapon with spiky blond hair perhaps?"

"That was different, Reno. Sephiroth was involved and most of all the Calamity was killing the Planet. She needed me to rid her of its poison," I answered, beginning to wonder if there was a point in what he was trying to get across.

"Well apparently the ol' girl hates what's happening with the monster population right now. There's also a new organization out there that could become a big thorn in her side if left to their own devices. But that's top secret stuff. Sorry, Cloud. More than my job's worth to tell you that right now anyway," he said, leaning back in his seat and lacing his fingers behind his head.

"What has all this got to do with Zack, Reno?"

"When we first started all this we just didn't have good enough leaders to instruct our newly created SOLDIER's. Sure, we got permission to use the amount of Mako to create Third and Second class SOLDIER's, but we were missing our First's. It wasn't like we had enough time to train any of the newbies so Aerith talked to the planet and fixed it up where she could bring back a few of our more promising First's," he explained, staring up at the ceiling as he was speaking.

My breath was coming faster and faster as the implications of what Reno had just told me registered in my head. He had to be playing some kind of sick game on me. What he was saying couldn't possibly be true.

"We have Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, and a few other First's back doing SOLDIER work. Including one Zackery Fair who was the replacement for a rather stubborn blond haired hero," he said, bringing his eyes down to meet my own.

Time stood still as Reno's words slowly processed within my mind. It couldn't be. Zack just couldn't be back. It was impossible. But what if Reno was telling me the truth? If he was then the Planet had just more than made up for all those years of hell she put me through.

"Hey, Spike, ya okay in there?" Reno asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "You look like you've just seen a ghost. I haven't even taken you to see Zack yet."

"Is he really back Reno? Don't you dare lie to me or I will kill you. Slowly and painfully," I said, through clench teeth.

"It's true, really. I swear, man, he's back at HQ right now. He's probably moping about or pretending to be his normal happy self," Reno said, leaning back against the back of the bench and throwing his hands up defensively.

"What do you mean 'pretending to be his normal happy self'? What happened to him?"

"Well, if you'll remember, Rufus kinda told all the SOLDIER's that you died a few weeks ago in a crash because of the snow storms. Thinking back on it, Zack hasn't really been the same since," Reno said, his fiery red eyebrows furrowing.

"Oh Odin, Reno! I need to see him, please! He'll kill himself if you don't let him know I'm alright. I know Zack and the depression is just stage one. After that he'll stop sleeping, then eating and finally kill himself!" I exclaimed, my voice growing more and more hysterical no matter how hard I tried to stay calm.

I didn't care that Tifa was glancing at me with that worried expression I had become so familiar with or that Denzel was listening in from the stairs. All I knew was that Zack thought I was dead. Once, when he thought I had died on a mission, I found him on a rooftop ready to jump when I finally got back. He was nothing but skin and bones and already looked half dead due to lack of sleep. I never wanted to see him like that again.

"Okay, alright! I'll bring him by later this evening when I get off work. So just calm down!" He exclaimed, speaking so quickly that I could barely understand him.

Shaking my head, I looked up at Reno, not surprised when I saw the same worried expression on his face that Tifa had on hers. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"I'll be fine, Reno. It's Zack I'm worried about now. Just bring him by Seventh Heaven at eight tonight. Tell him an old SOLDIER friend really wants to talk with him over a few drinks and that the bartender will be waiting for him to come by," I instructed, feeling a sense of anticipation wash over me.

"Alright, man, just don't keep him out past midnight. You know how the SOLDIER schedule is and, trust me, it hasn't changed just because the WRO took over."

"I promise, Reno. I'll have him back by midnight for sure. Tell Rufus to be in his office at that time as well for a meeting with me. I have some career options I'd like to discuss with him," I said, wrapping my hands tightly around the mug in front of me to prevent them from shaking.

"You got it, Spike. Just leave it ta me," the cocky Turk said, chugging the rest of his ale before leaving the bar.

By the time eight o'clock rolled around, I was sitting in the booth that was closest to the heater in the farthest corner. The black hooded cloak that I had borrowed from Vincent was wrapped tightly around me. The large hood hid my face and hair perfectly, something I was extremely glad for. While Vincent's taste in most clothes isn't something to brag about, his knowledge of cloaks was legendary.

At ten past eight a bewildered and slightly underweight black spiky haired puppy got shoved roughly into the bar. The door slammed shut a second later, preventing Zack's escape. I rolled my eyes at Reno's attempt to be gentle. Zack had obviously been starving himself if the way his clothes hung on his frame was anything to go by. I bunched my hands into tight fists and tried not to lose my temper with Rufus for spreading that dammed rumor among the SOLDIER's in the first place.

Zack looked lost for a moment then sighed as he walked over to where Tifa was cleaning glasses and mixing drinks. A few words were passed between them and Tifa pointed over to where I was sitting. Raising my hand I motioned him over to the table with a wave. Nodding back to Tifa Zack slowly made his way over to me, a deadpan expression on his face.

As he made his way over I took the time to look him over under the protection of the cloak's hood. He was skinnier and looked like he could use some more sleep but he was still Zack. From his black combat boots to the beautiful spiky, raven black hair. _Wait…beautiful?_

I frowned as I tried to figure out exactly where that thought had come from but quickly pushed it to the back of my mind when he sat down across from me. He shot me a wary glance as he tried to make out my face and began to play with his hands, a sure sign that he was nervous. _Maybe Vincent's taste in cloaks is too good_, I thought, wondering if this had really been a good idea.

He was the first to speak despite his obvious nervousness. "So Reno said you where a old buddy back in Shinra's SOLDIER before I died and all?" Zack asked, leaning against the back of the bench.

"Yeah we knew each other but we were in different departments. Still managed to hang out somehow though. You were always really good at that," I replied, trying to disguise my voice so he wouldn't be able to tell it was me.

"Yeah, I really tried hard to hang out with one cadet in particular though." He paused and ran a hand down his gaunt face, sighing heavily. "Now that he's gone I wish I would have tried harder to spend more time with him."

"You talking about Cloud Strife?" I asked, unable to keep from smiling.

"Yeah, you knew him?" Zack asked, frowning.

I nodded. "You can say I know him fairly well."

"Don't you mean knew? He died about a week ago in a motorcycle accident."

"The WRO grapevine of information has never really been that trust worthy, especially if it came from Rufus's own mouth. The reason I asked you to come here tonight Zack is to tell you the truth. The only reason Rufus spread that rumor was to have something to tell everyone when they asked why Cloud Strife, hero of the world, had not joined his fellow SOLDIER's yet," I answered simply.

"Wha – how? You can't know that for sure. And why on Gaia would Rufus use Cloud Strife's death as a cover up story? How do you know this for sure?" Zack exclaimed, raising out of his seat to hang over me menacingly.

Slowly I raised my hands to the cloak hood and pushed it back. "Because I want to make my own decision to join SOLDIER without the badgering of everyone in the WRO. However, the second I heard you were back and being affected by said rumor, I made my choice and told Reno to bring you here tonight. Zack, I've missed you."

Zack cried out then and it sounded vaguely like a dog being strangled. He flung his arms at me and wrapped them tightly around my shoulders before pulling me towards him, not caring that there was a table in between us. I wheezed, having a hard time breathing. He stuffed his face into my shoulder and started crying. Hearing him only made fresh tears spring to my eyes as I fought to be strong for the both of us.

"Cloud…" he sobbed, his voice thick. "Yo – you're not d-dead."

A breathy laugh escaped my mouth and I shook my head. "No, I'm not dead Zack, and neither are you. Do you know what it's been like these past eight years without you by my side?"

Stopping Zack's sobbing was a bit of effort on his part and, after a final pat on the back, he reluctantly let go of me but kept his hands locked around my wrists like I would disappear into thin air if he wasn't holding onto me. I was completely fine with that though. Zack had always needed to touch and be around me when we hadn't seen each other for a while. It was almost like he needed to know I was really there and that I wasn't going to leave him. Taking a deep breath, Zack looked up at me our Mako infused eyes locking onto each other.

"I've always tried to be by your side, Cloud," he said, a whimsical smile spreading across his face. "You just couldn't see me most of the time. I tried to help where I was allowed, but about three years ago they stopped letting me watch over you and I faded back into the Lifestream. Next thing I know I'm alive again and looking forward to my first day off to go and see you. That's when they told me you died in a motorcycle crash in the snow storm while you were going home."

"I've never been stupid enough to drive in a snow storm," I replied, scoffing at Rufus' ignorance. "Home isn't going anywhere."

"Well, that's good to hear! That way I can punch the next guy who tells me that into the abyss," he retorted, pounding his fist onto the table.

"There's the puppy I know! I've missed you so much, Zack," I said, tightening my hold on his solid, living, breathing body.

We headed up to my room after spending a few more minutes down stairs. Zack had a hold of my hand and, if the way he was crushing my fingers was anything to go by, he wasn't going to be letting go any time soon.

"So what's the new SOLDIER like?" I asked once we were in my room.

"Well, it's nicer than Shinra ever was that's for sure. We have three buildings specifically for our use. The barracks, if you can even call them that, is a twenty story high apartment building basically. Two cadets to a room at all times. Then there's the Second and Third Class apartments. They still have to share rooms but they're much nicer," he answered.

"Sounds like heaven compared to the old barracks and apartments."

"Yeah, I know, man. All of us First Class SOLDIER's are on the top floors of the main SOLDIER building. That way we can be closer to the offices, class rooms, and training rooms. We have our own rooms unless we choose to share or if there's someone new that hasn't been assigned to a room yet. I'm actually hoping you'll get me as a roommate. It'll be like old times when you used to sleep over after long missions and such," Zack said as he flopped onto my bed.

"Yeah, I hope so too. I just got you back and there's no way I'm being anymore than one building away from you for a while if I can help it. And I need your PHS number," I said, stuffing my free hand into my pocket as I approached the bed. Okay, so maybe Zack isn't the only one with separation problems. As I laid down on my bed next to him, Zack turned towards me and nestled up against my side. Sharing a bed was nothing new between us we always slept in the same bed next to one another after long missions away from each other.

"Yeah, right back at you, buddy. Although, if I have my way, you aren't gonna be leaving my sight for another month at least."

"They have a word for that, Zack. It's called invasion of privacy," I shot back, smiling at him.

"Alright so maybe not in the same room, but no more than a building away. Maybe we can meet on the top of the main SOLDIER building every night. It's about sixty stories high and has a nice view."

"I'm not going to ask how you know that already. And because of the shape you're in right now I really don't want to know."

I shifted more towards him and ran a hand over Zack's more prominent than healthy ribs.

"You're skin and bones, Zack," I said, disapproval in my voice. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing this?"

Zack's eyes slid shut as he snuggled deeper into my open arms. "At least one more time, Chocobo."

Letting out a deep sigh, I shook my head. "Your hopeless, Zack. Just take better care of yourself, alright?"

"Mmmkay, Cloud."

Thankfully, I had set a alarm for 11:30 or Rufus would have been majorly upset with me. Zack and I had fallen asleep talking about old times as well as catching him up on the past three years of my life. I jumped when the alarm started blaring, gently shaking myself out of Zack's grasp so I could shut the infernal thing off. I captured a yawn behind my hand before shaking Zack awake.

"Wha time is it, Cloud?" He asked, his voice thick from sleep.

"Half past eleven. I promised Reno I'd have you back by midnight," I replied, sitting down next to him.

Zack simply rolled over and mumbled, "Damn redhead ain't my mother. Go back ta sleep, Spike."

"I also have a meeting with Rufus or I would agree whole heartily with you, puppy," I said, ruffling his hair. Zack groaned as he stretched his arms over his head then sat up looking at me with half asleep glowing Mako eyes.

"It's alright. How are we getting back then?"

"We can both ride on Fenrir. He's big enough for two people to sit on."

All sleep was chased out of Zack's expression at the mention of my bike. "Is it that monster of a fighter bike outside the bar?"

"Yeah, that's him," I replied, smiling proudly. "Been used more for deliveries than fighting though."

"Well then let's get moseying, Spike! I want to see what that thing can do!"

A smirk found its way onto my face as I followed Zack out of my room. If only he knew what he was getting himself into.

**Holy Odin Above Holy Odin Above Holy Odin Above Holy Odin Above Holy Odin Above **

When I pulled up to the WRO's HQ where the executive department was located, Zack looked like he had been in a fight with a typhoon.

"You okay, Zack?" I asked, looking back at him.

"Spike, you know that the speed limits and road blocks are there for a reason right? Like to prevent the twenty foot drop you drove us down. Shoot man, has anyone thought to take away your driver's license?" He asked, quickly hopping off the back of my motorcycle.

"You know you liked it, Zack, and no, I've never even been given a ticket."

"Yeah, so I liked it. But man, not even one ticket?" He asked incredulously.

Following Zack off the bike I shook my head in amusement. "Nope sorry, Zack."

"You know if I did any of that I'd more than likely get sent to jail," he said, lacing his fingers behind his head as we walked towards the front doors.

"I blame not having a father figure while I was growing up. Even my mother wasn't my real mom."

"Really? I never knew you were adopted, Cloud."

"It's not that big of a deal."

"Well at least I know why you try to help out the orphans around Seventh Heaven now."

"Yeah, but I was a new born when I lost my parents. So I still can't really relate to them."

The alarm on my PHS went off signaling the arrival of midnight. Looking up at Zack I saw a small flicker of uncertainty in his eyes before he swiftly closed the distance between us and lightly kissed me on the cheek.

"Good night, Spike. See you tomorrow and good luck with Rufus," he said, taking off towards the biggest of the three newly constructed buildings behind WRO Headquarters.

I stared at his retreating back in shock. I touched the spot on my cheek where his lips had been, trying to figure out if that had really happened. Zack had never done something like that before and it was blowing my mind.

_Why did he do that?_ I asked myself as I trudged inside the large building in front of me. _Did he really miss me that much? And why in the world do I want to run after him to return the favor?_

I quickly shook those confusing thoughts from my mind as I entered an elevator and rode up to Rufus Shinra's new office as Vice President of the WRO.

Rufus was sitting behind his desk with a cup of coffee clutched in his hands looking over a few documents that were in front of him. When he saw me a pleased smile curled the corners of his lips up.

"It's good to see you've seen things our way, Cloud," he said, getting up to come greet me. "On behalf of Reeve and the whole WRO we welcome you to SOLDIER First Class."

"You've told them then?" I asked, accepting his outstretched hand.

"Yes, I even told them the entire truth, Cloud. Not that you had been brought back, but that you had never died in the first place. Trust me, they weren't happy that I had lied to them but, none the less, they understood. Report to the secretary in the morning at 0600 sharp for your dorm assignment and roommate. Am I understood, SOLDIER Cloud?"

Biting my lip I finally swallowed my pride and answered, "Yes, Vice President Shinra."


	5. Angel of Strife

Chapter 4

Angels in flight

Stay out of sight

Planet of love

White like a dove

Oh Angel, from above

Word count: 5125

When I awoke the next morning, for the last time in Seventh Heaven, it was four in the morning and I was wide awake. I laid there for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of familiarity that would allude me for some time to come in the future. However, my thoughts soon turned to what Tifa had said when I returned home last night. When I had told her I was joining the WRO's SOLDIER I had hoped she would be understanding. Instead, she became very angry very quickly.

"What about Denzel, Cloud?" She had shouted, her wine colored eyes flashing dangerously. "You're his father! You legally adopted him and now you're just going to leave him? He's already lost one father, don't make him lose another!"

"He'll be fine, Tifa. It's just another job."

"No, he won't, Cloud!" She exclaimed, her voice rising dangerously high."Do you know what it was like for him not having you there during the time he had Geostigma? He cried for you in his sleep every night and you weren't there!"

"I was doing what I thought was right at the time, Tifa," I answered, not allowing her distress to affect me. "Just like I'm doing now. I'm doing what I think is right."

Tifa shook her head, throwing her hands into the air as if she was giving up and started to walk up the stairs to her room.

"Look, Tifa, it isn't any worse than what Barrett has to do with Marlene. At least I'll be in the same city. I can visit him every day if he wants," I called, at a loss for how to placate her.

She paused on the bottom step and hung her head, her dark hair falling around her face like a curtain. "Cloud... it's not just Denzel," she began, her voice low. "It's the fact that you're joining SOLDIER. I thought you said you would never go back and now look at you. First Class and everything."

"That's not fair, Tifa, and you know it!" I exclaimed, letting my temper get the better of me. "This isn't Shinra and I am not going to deny Reeve my help when he needs it!"

"Look, Cloud, we both know this is because of Zack so just stop right there. I'll watch Denzel while you're away, but you had better keep up with him and make more of a effort to be a father," she said, crossing her arms stiffly over her chest.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, trying really hard not to sound condescending. It didn't work.

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm going back to bed. Good night, Cloud."

I hadn't meant to make Tifa mad, but I couldn't just let the opportunity to be in a SOLDIER setting with Zack again pass me by. Denzel said something about wanting to join SOLDIER when he was older anyway. We would be able to see more of each other then.

As soon as I had heard Tifa's bedroom door slam shut I tiptoed up the stairs hesitantly. I stopped by Denzel's room to give the sleeping boy a gentle kiss on his forehead then went into my room, getting a head start on packing before I left in the morning.

At around five o'clock that morning I was finally walking into the WRO Main HQ to find out who my roommate was. I dearly hoped that it would be Zack, but at the same time doubted it. Reeve knew that Zack was like a brother to me and probably thought that we would keep each other up late. He was actually right in a way; we probably would do just that. It didn't hurt to keep hoping though. I also needed to pick up my schedule for the next week and see what missions they were sending me out on.

My boots hardly made any sound as I crossed the smooth tile, making my way towards a desk that had 'Scheduling and Room Assignments' splayed across it in gold letters. The woman sitting behind it had her attention on a computer screen as I stopped in front of her. "Excuse me, I need to get my schedule and room key," I said, breaking the silence.

Looking up from her computer at the sound of my voice, her face immediately went pale when she recognized who I was. The fact that the lighting was minimal didn't matter. My hair stood out like a sore thumb. "Oh! Y-yes, Mr. Strife, sir! Reeve told me earlier about you joining, but I thought he was joking,"she said, rummaging around in a stack of papers on the corner of the desk.

"Why?"

Her hands paused their frenzied movements and she stared up at me with wide eyes."Well, you know, the hero of the world, destroyer of Shinra, joining SOLDIER again? Who would have thought it!"

"I guess that means you don't have the information on who I'm bunking with or what my schedule might be then?" I asked, not in the mood to deal with one of my star struck fans.

"Umm I do actually! Just wait here a second. I think I put them in my office. Let me go get them. I was going to return them to Mr. Shinra during my lunch break and tell him that Reeve was playing jokes on me again," she said, laughing nervously.

"I see," I replied, the fact that I sounded bored was clearly evident. I had to fight the impulse to roll my eyes.

"Right. Well, sorry, Mr. Strife. I'll be right back with your keys. Please make yourself comfortable." She gestured to a sitting area nearby as she quickly retreated down the hall towards the elevators.

I walked over to one of the chairs and waited for her to come back. A few moments later I saw a man with bright red shoulder length hair walk into the building. He was reading a book in a language I couldn't understand, from what I could see of the cover at least.

As if he sensed my eyes on him, he looked up and towards me. Smiling brightly as the noon day sun he started walking over to where I was seated. Once he was close enough for me to hear him he called out in a language I had never heard before.

"Fuimt oui rybbah du pa Cloud Strife, dra ranu uv dra funmt?"

I gazed up at the strange man with a blank expression, trying to figure out what he had said. The only thing I recognized in that sentence was my name. "I'm Cloud, if that's what you're asking."

"Oh, sorry," he said, closing his book and hiding it behind his back. "I was reading in Angelus and my question just kind of came out that way. I asked if you were Cloud Strife, hero of the world, but you already answered my question. It's an honor to meet you."

"I'm just relieved you speak English," I replied, a feeling of relief settling over me.

"Ah, yes, I do speak English rather well, Cloud Strife, even if it isn't my native language."

"Just call me Cloud, please," I said, feeling slightly awkward that he was calling me by my full name.

He nodded, taking a seat nearby and starting to read his book again. Feeling the need to keep conversation going, I asked the first thing that entered my mind.

"What's your book about?" I asked, trying to get a better look at the cover.

"Angels and their relation to the Ancients. They are both truly wonderful and powerful species, don't you agree?" He asked, looking up at me.

A small smile pulled the corners of my lips up slightly as I remember Aerith. "The Ancients were a very powerful and beautiful race indeed."

"You think the Angels weren't?" He asked, a flabbergasted expression appearing on his face.

"I'm afraid I've never heard of Angels before," I replied, feeling slightly awkward.

"Really? That's kind of odd," he said, sounding surprised. "They're probably as infamous as the Ancients were. Of course, Angels tend to keep to themselves, but I'm shocked you haven't heard of them in your travels."

"What are they?" I asked, beginning to get intrigued.

A troubled look passed across his face as he put the strange book down on a table. He breathed in deeply before looking back up at me."Angels are winged humanoid creatures with extraordinary power. Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal partially resembled them once Hojo and Hollander were done experimenting with their bodies. Although, Angels are born with a complete set of wings. Finding an Angel exposing their wings to someone else is extremely rare and normally means they are comfortable around you, feel highly threatened, or wish to mate."

"So they're like Ancients with wings?"

"No, no, no!" He exclaimed, shaking his head. "They're a completely different species. The Ancients were simply the Planet's messengers. Angel's are the Planet's protectors. They are similar to WEAPON, only much more longer term. However, lately, She's found you to be a much better option."

I chose to ignore his last comment in favor of trying to understand this strange species a little better. "So they were extremely good fighters with wings?"

"Not only that. They're breathtakingly, more beautiful than any Ancient could ever hope to be, but only when their wings are exposed. Any other time they look like very beautiful humans," he explained.

"Well I don't think I've ever met one then."

The strange man narrowed his eyes at me, almost like he was trying to figure out if I was lying or not. "I find it interesting that you don't have very many question. You remind me a lot of Zackery Fair but he is full of questions. Are you really not interested in Angels?"

"I just don't talk all that much," I replied, unsure if I should feel insulted or not. "How do you know Zack?"

"He's one of my friends here. He was actually my roommate when I first got here. He informed me you would be joining us last night after he returned. It's wonderful to finally meet the only human to gain the Planet's affection."

I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and looked away from him as I answered. "Affection is too strong a word to describe what the Planet thinks of me. I think I'm considered more of a useful tool than anything else."

"Whatever you say, Cloud," he said, sounding as if he knew more than I did. "Why are you waiting around anyways? Shouldn't you be meeting your new roommate right now?"

"The secretary thought Reeve was joking about me returning to the SODIER program. She had to go get everything out of her office," I answered, fighting the impulse to roll my eyes again.

"Oh, I see." He paused briefly then jumped slightly. "Where are my manners? My name is Cuny, but please call me Sora. Cuny means Sora in my native language and Sora means Sky in Wutainese, which fits me because I have sky blue eyes. Please don't laugh. My parents had too much time to think about what they were going to name me."

"Don't worry," I said, finally feeling like I was able to relate with him. "I was stuck with the name Cloud."

"Hmmm," he murmured, scratching his chin in thought. "Clouds are definitely wondrous and powerful things, but your name just doesn't suit you like mine does. Why your mother chose it, I just cannot fathom."

I frowned, the familiarity I felt towards him gone. "Cloud wasn't the name I was born with," I shot back slightly defensively."It was given to me when I was adopted."

"Really?" He asked, sounding surprised. "What was your real name?If you don't mind me asking."

"My biological parents named me Angel. I don't like bringing up the fact that I was adopted."

"Don't feel bad. I was adopted as well, but I was fortunate enough to retain my name."

"Zack doesn't even know my birth name, even though he's like a brother to me," I said, staring down at the floor and feeling slightly ashamed.

"Interesting. I got the feeling you both are very close. It's never good to keep things like that away from the people you're closest to. You should tell him the next time you see him. Being adopted isn't something to be ashamed of, Angel."

I knew he was only trying to encourage me but I hadn't heard my real name spoken aloud in so long that it was hard not to flinch. "He knows I'm adopted, just not my birth name."

"Well if Zack is like a brother to you I know he would be thrilled to know that about you. Brothers can be wonderful things. I'm rather close to mine even if we aren't blood related. Genesis really is a caring and protective fellow once you get to know him," Sora said, crossing his arms casually over his chest and smiling.

"I see."

Sora chuckled and suddenly leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "If it makes you feel better, I think the name Angel fits you better than Cloud ever will. I christen you Angel of Strife. You know you really do look like a Yhkam or Angel in your tongue."

At that moment, the secretary came back with a card key and a small stack of papers in her hand.

"Hey, Ginger, how have you been lately?" Sora asked, rising to go greet the secretary. "Me and Cloud here where just getting to know each other."

"Oh hi, Sora. I've been fine. Just a little stressed out because of all the people coming in wanting to join SOLDIER. Interest in the program now is two times larger than Shinra registration numbers ever were," she said, directing her attention over to me. "As for you Mr. Strife, your room number is 308 up on the twentieth floor. You'll receive your schedule for this week on your PHS directly once Reeve gets it together. Here are your keys and good luck with your roommate because it's Genesis. "

"What's so bad about Genesis?" Sora asked, his tone becoming very serious as he looked down at the floor. He looked up at me then and began speaking before Ginger had a chance to respond."During the Midgar/Wutai war, my brother went AWOL in the middle of a mission. A scientist named Hollander did some experiments on him, similar to what Hojo did to Sephiroth. Eventually the cells drove him mad and he started degrading. I tried to find a cure for him, but I didn't have any luck before he died."

"So the Planet brought him back as well?" I asked, glancing briefly over at the secretary. She looked uncomfortable and I was pretty sure that she hadn't meant to hurt Sora's feelings.

"Yeah, with a sound mind and body this time around thankfully," he replied, looking in Ginger's direction when he spoke. "The Planet found a way to remove Jenova's cursed cells from all the souls She brings back so now my brother is actually himself again."

"Why are you warning me about Genesis if he's better now?" I asked Ginger, directing my attention over to her.

Her eyes quickly flicked over to Sora before answering. "Even though the Planet healed him he'll always have the lingering memories from what he did in the past. That alone can make it a bit tricky to get along with him some times."

"I think I can handle it."

"Alright well good luck then, Cloud. Hope to see you around soon. Tell Zack and Genesis I said hi when you see them."

"I will. Thanks, Ginger. If Rufus asks tell him when I got here," I said, slipping the key card into my pocket.

"Of course and I've already signed you in so you don't have anything to worry about," she said, waving good bye to me before making her way back to her desk.

I nodded and waved back at her as well as Sora then headed off in the direction of Fenrir, setting my motorcycle's sights towards the main SOLDIER building. I was more than ready for my new life to begin.

The SOLDIER building was an impressive sight. I passed a group of cadets that were doing an early morning run around the building and had to hold back from laughing when I saw them slipping and sliding on the snow and ice. A pair of helicopters flew over my head, more than likely taking some mission teams out to the field for training battles with monsters. I smiled as I parked Fenrir and looked up at the large building in front of me. I knew this is where I belonged, no matter how many times Tifa tried guilt tripping me.

As I approached the sliding glass doors, I paused to read the bright mako blue words that were stationed directly above the entrance. It read: _Never forget your pride as SODLIER._ I couldn't help the ghost of a smile that crawled onto my face as I reread that simple sentence. Zack had said those words to me and hundreds of other recruits so many times that phrase had been seared into my mind. Now that it was displayed for everyone to see, no one would ever forget what it meant to be in SOLDIER. It was almost too much for me to handle and my vision blurred with unshed tears.

I shook my head and made sure my eyes were dry before walking into the main lobby. There, in the very middle of the room,stood a giant mako crystal fountain depicting all of AVALANVE on a rocky mountain top. As much as I tried to fight it, more tears began welling up in the corners of my eyes.

I was positioned on top of the rock with Tifa and Vincent on either side of me. Barrett, Cid and Yuffie where all on ledges carved out of the side of the rock on either side of us. Nanaki was sitting on a ledge carved out right below me with Cait Sith perched on his back. There where holes in the rock that where spilling out water into the bottom of the fountain, creating calming background noise.

All around the fountain where couches, comfy chairs and even a roaring fire place. SOLDIER recruits and Turks alike where all relaxing, talking to one another and sipping on cups of coffee. I figured it was a big common room and smiled as I thought of spending time catching up with Zack here. I walked across the room to the four elevators lined up along the back wall. I pressed the up button and waiting patiently for one of the sets of doors to open. It only took a few seconds for the furthest elevator on the left to arrive and I quickly stepped into it,pressing the number twenty. I groaned as a soft tune began playing in the background and hoped I would get to my floor soon.

I had to refrain from rolling my eyes when it stopped on the fourth floor to let someone else inside. A very solid, muscular man with black hair stepped into the elevator. His hair was spiky but not nearly as extreme as mine or Zack's. He looked over at me nodded a good morning before staring at the metal elevator doors. Then, without looking at me, he said, "You're Cloud Strife."

I frowned as I glanced over at him. "Yes, I am."

"Both Zack and Rufus have told me a lot about you. You seem to have made quite a mark on the Planet while I was dead," he said, one corner of his mouth curling upwards.

"And you're Angeal, aren't you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly as the ghost of a smile appeared on my face.

"Yes, I am. Has the puppy been talking about me as well then?"He inquired, glancing over at me.

I nodded. "He has a lot of respect for you."

He sighed and shook his head, his shoulders drooping. "After what Genesis and I both did I don't know why he would," he said, his voice low.

"You've set it right now, haven't you? Whatever you did?"

He half-heartedly shrugged one of his broad shoulders. "Well yes, but that doesn't erase all the wrongs of the past."

I nodded. "I know that all too well," I said, lowering my gaze to the floor."Zack doesn't see it that way though."

"He always has been a very forgiving and loving young man," he replied, keeping his gaze straight forward.

Silence fell over us then as we continued, but I wanted to keep the conversation going. It wasn't everyday that you got to talk to one of the greatest SOLDIER mentors ever known. "I heard that you defeated Sephiroth three times after he lost his mind to Jenova."

He nodded his head, looking deep in thought. "It's not something I like to think about."He paused for a moment before finally turning to face me. "I just wanted to thank you for helping him. I'm Sephiroth's childhood friend and I know that he wouldn't have been pleased with what he turned into. He would have done himself in and never come back to haunt you again."

"You're welcome, Angeal," I said, smiling over at him. "I just did what I had to do."

He nodded."Right. Well, anyway you're a First now, right? What's your room number?"

"308, Genesis' room," I replied, looking down at my dorm assignment.

He smiled and chuckled."I see. Just to warn you, Genesis does have a rather explosive temper so be careful. He may be my oldest friend, but he can still get violent, even with me."

I nodded, appreciating his advice. "If I can handle Sephiroth then I can handle Genesis."

Just then the elevator stopped and the doors slid open to reveal my floor.

"I'll see you later, Cloud," Angeal said as I walked out."It was a pleasure meeting you."

I said good bye to Angeal then decided to go visit Zack before going to my own dorm. It wasn't very hard to find my best friend's dorm because sprawled across one of the doors on the right side of the hall were the words _Zack's Room_.

I shook my head as I stopped in front of his door. _Does_ _the puppy __need_ _any more arrows pointing to where he live__s?_

The door was opened slightly so I peeked inside, expecting to find him sleeping on the couch or something. I was surprised when I saw him awake and eating breakfast at his table. He smiled and waved, signaling me to come all the way inside. I smiled back at him as I set my bag down near the door and sat down across from him.

"Morning, Zack," I greeted.

"Hey,Spike," he replied, shoving another spoonful of food into his mouth. "I'm going to go train with one of my buds today. Do you want to come?"

"Sorry,I have get all my stuff unpacked," I answered, feeling mildly disappointed. "Are you training with Sora?"

"Oh, so you did get to meet him this morning. I was hoping you hadn't missed each other. What did you think of him?"He asked as he continued to eat his breakfast.

I leaned back in my seat as I searched for the right words to describe him. "He was interesting and very nice. He's smart too. He had a lot to say about Angels and Ancients."

"Yeah,the Angels are really awesome sounding," Zack said, smiling."Wish I could meet one someday."

"I wouldn't mind the experience either."

"Really?" Zack said, looking up at me with one of his eyebrows arched."Well maybe we can use some of our vacation time to find one."

"Maybe," I replied, shrugging.

"So are you going to tell me that you sitting here means you're my new roommate?" He asked, his voice becoming excited. "Come on, Spike, don't beat around the bush."

I shook my head, sad that I had to disappoint him. "Sorry, Zack,I'm just here to visit for a little while. Genesis is my roommate actually," I said, wondering if he would react the same way Angeal had. He did. Right when he opened his mouth to say something about it I stopped him. "And before you say anything I'm going to be careful. I know what I'm getting into, Zack."

"Alright,Cloud," he replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "I'm more worried about what you'll think of your neighbor. Genesis will probably get along with you more than he gets along with your neighbor. Actually you might not like him either."

"How bad can he be?" I asked as I laced my fingers behind my head.

Zack scrunched his face up in thought. "He isn't necessarily a bad person. You'll see when you meet him, Cloud. I like him well enough, in fact we're kind of friends. He looked after me along with Sora when I thought you were dead. Just keep a open mind, alright?"

I frowned, wondering who it could possibly be."I will, don't worry," I said, glancing over at the clock. "Oh, hey, Zack."

"Yeah, Spike?"

"When are you supposed to be meeting Sora?"

"Six thirty,why?" He inquired, finishing off the last of his food.

"Because it's five minutes till," I answered.

"Oh man," Zack said as he rushed his dishes into the kitchen. "I'm glad Sora is forgiving or he would so have my ass for this!"

Once he deposited his dishes into the sink, he ran towards the new Buster Sword he had been using. What surprised me was when he ran back and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

"Tonight on the roof at about eight sound good to you, Cloud?" He asked, tightening his arms around me.

I hugged him back,my face planting itself into his chest, and smiled softly. "Sure, I'll see you then. Have a good day and try to be on time for our meeting."

"Right! I promise I'll be there on time even if I have to be early," he said, letting go of me reluctantly.

Just before he ran out the door though, he kissed me softly on the cheek and left. I just stood there like a idiot for a few moments with my hand on my cheek that was quickly turning scarlet.

_W__hy does he keep doing that__?A__nd__, more importantly,_ _why do I blush like a school girl every time he does it?_

Shaking my head I left Zacks Apartment to go unpack.

*****Angelic***Chocobo***Angelic***Chocobo***Angelic***Chocobo***Angelic***Chocobo*****

Genesis was a lot different than what I was used to dealing with, that was for sure. In a way he almost reminded me of a tamer version of Kadaj. In the middle of unpacking my underwear, he started quoting what sounded like lines from Loveless. Only when I was done unpacking did he actually speak to me without quoting poetry.

"So you're Cloud Strife, the Hero of the World. I hear you defeated Sephiroth as well," he said, looking over at me from his side of the room.

"Yes, I'm Cloud. Angeal told me that you both were close to Sephiroth."

"We all grew up together. However, unlike Angeal, I believe Sephiroth was rather weak minded to have fallen under Jenova's spell. If he had truly wanted to he could have fought off her influence. He might never have destroyed that town then," he said, pausing briefly. "I will admit that telling him he was a monster probably didn't help him. That, however, was my sin towards him."

"You told him he was a monster?" I asked, my eyebrows rising dangerously high.

"I told him a lot more than that, but yes that was the focus point of our last conversation. I am not proud of it and, looking back on it,I wish the words had never come out of my mouth," he replied, staring up at the ceiling in thought.

"The forgiveness you're looking for can't come from me,"I responded, going back to my unpacking.

"I know that, but I want you to know that I'm sorry about my part in the burning of your home town."

"It happened a long time ago," I replied, closing my empty bag and putting it next to my dresser. I looked at my watch then and figured I would go join Zack and Sora. Unpacking hadn't taken as long as I thought it was going to. "I'm going to the training room. I'll be back tonight after eight."

"Very well. Please be quiet when you come back in though. I'll probably be asleep and I'm a very light sleeper. I also tend to burn things when woken suddenly in the middle of the night," Genesis said.

"I'll make sure to be quiet then," I promised.

"Thank you,Cloud," he said, smiling over at me. "I might actually like to get to know you more. You're not as bad as all the other noisy gits a few doors down."

"What gits?"I asked, taking a few steps towards him.

"Oh,just another First Class named Herald. Him and his gang are the bane of the WRO. I would like to let them meet my rapier someday."

My entire body froze at the mention of Herald and his gang. Visions of that all boys surrounding me, kicking me and punching me until I was unconscious flew up behind my eyes.

"You'll need to stand in line. Herald's gang made my life hell back when I was a cadet with Shinra. They have a date with First Tsurugi and they won't be taking a rain check."

"My opinion of you just got a major boost, Cloud," Genesis said, smiling even wider. "I hope we can become good friends.

I nodded and smiled back at him before walking out and closing the door behind me. I had just turned towards the elevators when the door next to mine caught my attention. Zack's words about my neighbor came immediately to the forefront of my mind.

**_"He_ _isn't_ _necessarily a bad person__. Y__ou'll see when you meet him, Cloud."_**

Perhaps it was time to meet this mysterious neighbor of mine. The training room would still be there when I was done. I only hoped that whoever he was, was still home at ten in the morning. Most SOLDIER's were early birds, with the exception of Zack. Shaking my head, I walked over to the door and knocked a few times.

I heard shuffling behind the door, a low curse, then the door opened to reveal the last person I expected to be my new neighbor. Let alone, the last person I ever expected to see again.


	6. Confusing meetings & Revelations

Chapter 5

Door of darkness

Locked from within

I stand a prisoner

Of my own actions

And sins

Word Count: 3816

The long silver hair was unmistakable. It nearly covered the tired and now absolutely thunderstruck face of the last person I ever expected to see again. Sephiroth. I was sure my expression mirrored his exactly, but his was slowly turning into horror. Attempting to pull myself together, I grabbed the door before he could shut it and stared at him with my mouth partly agape.

"The Planet brought you back even after all you've done?" I mumbled, thinking out loud.

Sephiroth pushed his long hair out of his face and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned up against the door jam. "I can't hear Jenova anymore, Cloud," he said, staring down at the floor. "My mind is my own for once. I would prefer for us to settle the hostility between us. I only want to be in SOLDIER."

I stood in silence, continuing to stare at him, as I still tried to overcome the shock of seeing him alive. "Sephiroth, I don't blame you for everything that happened," I said, slightly surprised I had actually admitted that but knowing it was true. No matter how much I would like to blame him for everything. It just was not right.

His glowing Mako eyes met my own and narrowed into tiny slits. "There are still a few things that you feel is my fault though."

"I've talked to Angeal and Genesis. I am inclined to think what Genesis does. You had the choice to resist her and you didn't. Because of that my home, my mother, and my childhood were all burnt to the ground," I said, beginning to feel my anger boil over.

A scowl darkened his face as he approached me, putting his face right in front of mine. "If you knew what memory she used to get me under her control you would not have said what you just did, Cloud," he growled. "The stronger the memory the more power she has over your mind. A infection always need a wound to fester in."

Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes at him. "If that's the case then you can atone for your sins by healing the wound that caused so many deaths. The Planet and I have removed the infection now you need to do your part."

Confusion replaced the scowl as he backed away from me. "You don't hate me then? After everything that has happened you are still willing to give me a chance?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"Yes I am, I hate Jenova and Hojo. But I don't hate you, Sephiroth," I answered, looking into his eyes earnestly.

The silence between up was almost palpable as the gears in Sephiroth's mind slowly turned. Finally, he broke the silence with a soft request.

"If I am to begin closing this wound, Cloud, there's something I need to tell you."

I only hesitated for a second before nodding and following him into his room.

*****Past***Of***Night***Said***Heaven's***Light**

A few minutes later, I was seated in a chair across from Sephiroth. He was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, gathering his thoughts. Gone was the once proud general, gone was the fierce opponent that I faced, gone was my childhood idol replaced by a shell of what once was. As shocking as it was to admit, it hurt me to see Sephiroth this way and I wanted to do whatever I could to help him.

Taking a deep breath Sephiroth started in. "Cloud,have you ever pictured me as the kind of man that would ever settle down with a wife and children?" He asked, staring at me from over his hands.

"No, not really. I just figured you were married to the job like Tseng is."

"Years before everything with Jenova started, it was a dream of mine to have a family of my own," Sephiroth explained, leveling me with the most sincere expression I had ever seen.

My eyes widened considerably, the only outward sign of how shocked I really felt. "I just can't picture you with a desk job and going home every night to a wife and kids," I replied, shaking my head slowly.

He smiled, in spite of himself, and I realized that I hadn't ever seen Sephiroth smile before. "I never had a desk job, but I did have a wife once a long time ago. Her name was Hezera and she was the most beautiful woman I ever met, both inside and out. I fell deeply and completely in love with her. She was just a simple farm girl that lived in Nibelheim, but she had my heart the moment her deep blue eyes met mine," he explained, his gaze far away as he remembered that part of his past.

I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing, but I genuinely wanted him to continue."Sounds like you fell pretty hard."

"I did. I still remember seeing her for the first time like it was yesterday. Her soft blond hair was waving gently in the wind, her lean, gorgeous frame that was carrying a water bucket, and a smile so soft it could make any ones heart melt." He paused and met my eyes. "She was an Angel, Cloud."

I blanched at this new information, completely taken off guard. I had just learned about that race this morning and now I had just learned that Sephiroth had been in love with one. "As in the Planet's protectors?" I asked, my eyes wide in shock.

"Yes, and they truly are a wonderful race; so full of spirit and life. Hezera and I became very close soon after I met her. In a way she reminds me of Zackary. She could talk for hours and had endless energy. We told each other everything; there were no secrets between us. By the time we were both seventeen we were together and inseparable. I proposed to her on her eighteenth birthday. She said yes and we were married two months later on Christmas Eve." He paused and rubbed his face, heaving a heavy sigh. I frowned, wondering what he was becoming upset over. "I was the happiest man alive,Cloud. She actually took me out flying the night of our wedding. You have no idea what it meant for me to have my first flight with her holding me and not with the mutation Jenova gave me later on."

"Jenova would have shied away from those kinds of memories,Sephiroth. They're happy," I reasoned.

He held up a finger, effectively silencing me. "Let me finish the story then you'll see why they appealed to her cruel nature."

"Alright," I said, sitting back into my chair, prepared for a long story.

Sephiroth took a deep breath and stared down at his feet for a moment before speaking."We had only been married for three weeks when we found out that Hezera was pregnant with our first child. We figured that she had gotten pregnant before our wedding. Not long after that we found out she would be having a boy. My first born son…" He whispered, lowering his eyes again. I could tell he was having a difficult time recounting his past. "We were so happy. We couldn't wait until we would be able to hold our son. But then it happened. I had just returned home from a mission and we had decided to go for a hike in the mountains together. We both enjoyed it and Hezera needed the exercise. While we were out she went into labor. It was about a month before her due date. I didn't know the first thing about delivering a baby and I was scared that something was wrong with the baby. I rushed her down to the nearest healer I could find but..." His voice broke at the end and I knew I didn't need to ask what had happened.

"She didn't live through the labor," I said, an odd sinking feeling spreading through my chest.

He shook his head gravely. "No, she didn't. My angel died screaming and holding my hand. It was a hard birth and there was just so much blood."

The silence engulfed us and I just sat staring at Sephiroth as he hid his face in his hands. His shoulders began shaking and, a few seconds later, a odd choking sound erupted from his throat. I couldn't see his face very well, but I didn't need to, to know he was crying. I was so stunned that I had no idea what to do. I fidgeted awkwardly with the fabric of my pants then moved to go sit by him, firmly locking my hand around his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. As if I had given him the strength to continue, he sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and wiped his eyes.

"When I learned of her fate, as you can imagine, I was absolutely devastated. I learned that my son was still alive though and as healthy as I could have hoped. I made the biggest mistake of my life then. It was Jenova's favorite wound to inhabit,"he said, pressing his hands together so I wouldn't see them shaking.

"What did you do, Sephiroth?" I prodded, keeping my hand on his shoulder.

"In my grief, I gave my only son up for adoption. I couldn't bear looking at him, he reminded me Hezera too much. After that I, focused all my energy on SOLDIER and becoming a general. I haven't seen my son since and I'm sure he hates me. Jenova always used my guilt over giving him up as a way to control me."

"I don't think your son would hate you, Sephiroth. My biological parents gave me up for adoption and I'm not mad at them," I said, hoping to cheer him up.

"That may be, Cloud, but I let my emotions get the better of me and it's not something that I'm proud of."

An awkward silence fell over us and I removed my hand from his shoulder. "Um, what do you have to do in order to close that wound?"

"Just talking about it has helped," he said, rubbing his face one more time and sitting up straight. "I'm going to at least try and find my son again. I need to tell him I'm sorry forgiving him up. I'll get in contact with the orphanage and go from there."

"I'll help you if I can, Sephiroth, but you need to be the one to find him."

"I understand. Thank you, Cloud. I can see why the people of Gaia love you so much. You have a heart of gold."

I almost felt the need to pinch myself. I didn't ever think I would hear those words coming out of Sephiroth's mouth. "Not even close, but thanks."

"You'll see someday, Cloud," he said, taking a deep breath and brushing his long bangs out of his face. He turned to look at me, his hawk like eyes narrowing slightly. "So why were you knocking on my door to begin with?"

"Oh, Zack told me about a neighbor I might not get along with, but asked me to at least meet him. That's why I was at your door. I had no idea that you were even alive again."

"Not a lot of the SOLDIER's know I'm back," he replied, smiling slightly."It's only to avoid any misconceptions that might arise with my reappearance."

"I see..." I said, leaning away from him and folding my arms across my chest."I know the past can be a painful thing to face."

"Cloud... I realize that I have many things to answer for, especially everything that I put you through. I killed Aerith right in front of you and I know you loved her." He paused and looked away from me, placing his balled up fists in front of his mouth. "I can't imagine how hard it would have been to watch Hezera die like that."

"The most painful part of my past has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Shinra and Hojo. I was forced to watch a platoon of Shinra grunts point their guns at Zack and pump him full of led. Then I had to watch my best friend, no my brother, give me his sword and die right in front of me. I was his living legacy," I said, whispering that last sentence.

Sephiroth met my gaze and he was looking at me like he didn't quite believe me."So, after all this time, it wasn't Aerith's death that did the most damage. It was Zack's."

"I hadn't known Aerith for very long before she died," I replied."Now days, I see her as just a sister."

Sephiroth nodded."I see. You had been through so much more with Zack. He was your strength in the labs and your crutch afterward."

"Yes," I said, a small smile working its way onto my face. "In a way, Zack was the first and last person I ever truly let into my heart and soul."

Sephiroth's slim silver brows shot up and he grinned. "Don't take this the wrong way, Cloud, but it sounds like you have a crush on Zack."

My jaw unhinged at his statement and I sputtered and stammered as I attempted to defend myself."What? No, no! We're just really close friends! I don't swing that way."

Sephiroth held his hands up, still grinning. "I just wanted to put it out there. You did, after all, leave everything you knew and had to join him here."

"I may have been Zack's living legacy, but he was my reason to live."

He shot me a cynical look. "Are you sure you don't have a crush on him, Cloud? Everything you just told me and more indicates that you love him."

"I'm sure, Sephiroth," I answered, just wishing he would drop it.

"As long as you're living and happy that's good enough for me, the Planet, and all of Gaia. So if you're up to it why don't we go see if, in my right mind, you're still the superior fighter?" He asked, rising from the couch.

"Alright, but you're going to wish you never challenged me,"I said, a wide smile spreading across my face as I got up as well.

"We will see,SOLDIER Strife. We will see."

*****Past***Of***Night***Said***Heaven's***Light*****

As it turned out,Sephiroth and I were evenly matched, much to my dismay. Reeve had come in at one time to watch us and say hi, but he hadn't stayed for long. I ended up spending the whole day training with and getting to know Sephiroth for who he truly was. Our personalities actually weren't so different from one another. I was a bit less serious, but I enjoyed his company well enough.

The company that I truly longed for and sought was probably off eating dinner as fast as he could right now so I said good bye to Sephiroth a little earlier than necessary. I hadn't seen Zack all day and I wanted to let him know how my talk with Sephiroth had gone. It was only a few minutes past seven and as I made my way up to the roof top.

When I reached the top of the SOLDIER building, I was shocked to find Zack already sitting on the roof.

"Hey,Cloud, you sure are early," he said, smiling at me. I shook my head and sat down next to him taking his hand into mine.

"I'm more surprised to see you here this early."

"Hey, I can be early when I want to be. Well that and I just needed some fresh air." He paused and looked over at me. "So did you talk to your neighbor yet?"

"I spent the day training with Sephiroth and getting to know him" I answered, already knowing who he was talking about.

"Awesome!" He exclaimed, slapping me on the back. "I was hoping you two would get along now that Seph is right in the head again."

The image of Zack laying on the ground with gashes all over his body and Sephiroth standing over him flashed through my mind, but I quickly shook it away. That was in the past and Sephiroth wasn't going to be a threat to us any longer.

"He still has a lot of problems," I said, staring down at the ground below us.

"Yeah,but he's not half as messed up as he used to be," he reasoned."So, Cloud, I have a question. Do you have any idea why Sora keeps calling you Angel of Strife?"

I frowned as I looked over at him. It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about, but then I shook my head, chuckling when I understood.

"Oh, he's referring to our chat this morning. He told me that my name didn't suite me so I told him the name my biological parents gave me," I explained, chuckling a little more.

"Your real name isn't Cloud?" Zack announced, leaning towards me. "Why was I not told this!"

The puppy like look of curiosity and sadness that crossed his face as he tilted his head to the side made my heart ache in my chest. It was so simply Zack that I couldn't stop from reaching over and ruffling his hair.

"It never came up, I guess. My biological parents named me Angel, but my mom didn't like the name so she changed it to Cloud when she adopted me."

"Wow," Zack replied, calming down considerably. "Well I like the name Cloud and you're Cloud to me, but I think Angel fits you better. Sorry, Spike."

"That's what Sora said too. He said I look like a Angel,"I replied, rolling my eyes.

Zack frowned."You mean the Planet's original protectors?"

"Yeah. That is what he said anyway."

"Wow! Well if all the Angels are as beautiful as you then I got to find me one and quick," Zack said, bouncing his dark eyebrows.

"ZACK!" I exclaimed, punching him in the shoulder.

"What? It's true, man! If you don't have a Cloud Strife fan club out there then I'm a chocobo."

"You're a lot better looking than I am, Zack, and I know for a fact you had two fan clubs back in SOLDIER," I said, crossing my arms.

Sephiroth's words earlier that morning came floating back into my head as I looked into Zack's deep blue eyes.

"_**Are you sure you don't have a crush on Zack, Cloud?"**_

_No, I don't_ _have a crush on Zack and even if I did this is no place to start a relationship,_ I thought to myself.

"Hey, Cloud? You in there, Spike?" Zack asked, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"What?" I said, swatting his hand away.

"You kinda spaced out there for a moment. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Well I can only imagine how long your day was,"Zack said, grinning at me. He drew his arms around himself as a gust of cold December air hit him and he shivered. I moved closer to him and wrapped my arms around him, hoping to help warm him up.

"Do you remember when you used to hold me on those cold nights back when I had mako poisoning?" I asked, feeling my heart begin to race in my chest.

Zack chuckled and I could tell he was smiling. "Yeah, I think you used to like it when I held you. You would always moved a bit to me and fell asleep."

I smiled and I was kind of glad that Zack wasn't looking at me because I didn't want him to see me blushing. "I felt safe with you. I knew you would always be there when I woke up. After you died though… I was still suffering from mako poisoning so my confused brain just couldn't accept it. I took your parting words to heart and became you."

Zack turned around, a trouble expression on his face. "Oh, Spike no."

I looked away from him, embarrassed that I had confessed that to him. "I left Cloud behind and imagined I was you. Sometimes I'm still not sure who I am. I don't feel like I'm the same person I used to be, but I'm certainly not you. "

I glanced back at him and suddenly became mesmerized by the white puffs of smoke our breath was making in the air. Zack had moved closer to me and his own breath hit my face like a warm wind, making a jolt shoot down my spine. "You're still my Cloud and you always will be okay? You're just more grown up and quiet now. It can happen to the best of us kids at heart."

I smiled and nodded my head, hugging him tight against me. "Zack...don't ever leave me again. I don't know if I can live through losing you a second time."

Zack hugged me back. "I can't promise that, Cloud. If your life was ever at stake I don't know what I would do to save it."

"I guess I'll just have to live with that then," I replied, backing away from his slightly. "Just as long as you understand that it goes both ways."

"I can agree to that, Spike. Just try to keep out of life threatening situations, alright?"

"I can't promise that. This is SOLDIER after all. I'll try though."

"Good enough," he said, releasing me and sitting down on the edge of the roof."Hey, Cloud?"

"Yeah, Zack?"

"Can I add Angel to the list of nick names I have for you?" He asked, smiling at me.

I grinned back and shook my head at the puppy dog face he once again used that was so him. I nodded my head reluctantly, letting him know it was okay. "YES!" He exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "Thank you, Angel!" And with that he pulled me onto his lap and softly ruffled my spikes. "Hey, Cloud, I need to hit the sack, but I promise we'll have an early day tomorrow. Mark my words."

I once again nodded and got off his lap, stretching my arms lazily over my head. Zack, who had done the same, pulled me into one last hug. Whispering in my ear he softly sang, "Angel, my Angel, don't ever leave my side. For life without you is full of suffering and without pride."Then he kissed my cheek, stepped back, ran for the door, and bounded down the stairs to the elevators.

All the while I stood there with my hand on my cheek, my face once again a bright scarlet. In my head I was finally starting to realize what my heart had been telling me for years.

_I_ _do __have a crush on Zack_ _and_ _I have for a very long time now._


	7. Misson Call & Unrequited Love

Chapter 6

Be still my beating heart  
For thou shall not receive  
The love you pound so greatly for  
even as you see

this pain of unrequited love

is simply how it must be

Word Count: 5520

The walk back to my shared room with Genesis after Zack left was an exceptionally long one. I had decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator because it gave me time to reflect back on the day. I had made a habit out of doing so long ago. I had also learned that if I ignored my problems,they would only get bigger. I had dealt with that enough in the past.

The main thing weighing heavily on my mind was Sephiroth. Even though I believed him when he said he regretted everything that had happened and realizing it really wasn't all his fault, I could still see my home burning to the ground when I thought of him. Our sparring match earlier had helped solidify that he really was the General of Shinra and not the mad man I once knew, but the horrible memories that his image held were still there and not easily ignored. I was willing to try though and more than determined to succeed. I told Sephiroth I would give him a second chance to make things right and I meant it. If that took a little extra effort on my part to forget and forgive then so be it.

As for Zack... I still wasn't sure. I didn't understand why he was acting so strange since I arrived. Were all the small kisses a sign that he has a crush on me too? Or is it just his new way of showing puppy love to a old friend that he missed a lot? I really didn't know, but if it ended up being the latter I was better off just giving up now. I didn't want to risk ruining the friendship that's vital to my very survival.

Finally reaching my floor, I turned to go down the long hallway when a flash of red coming out of one of the rooms caught my attention. Sora was slowly walking down the hall once again reading his book. For him and Genesis not being full brothers they sure did look alike. Even though I really wasn't trying to avoid him I just wanted to get back to my room unimpeded. Of course, I wasn't that lucky. Just as I was getting ready to pass by him, he looked up at me and smiled brightly.

"Hello there,little Angel of Strife! How are you this fine night?" He asked, promptly shutting his book.

Shifting slightly and frowning at the title 'little', I shook my head. "I'm fine, just heading to bed."

Bobbing his head slowly, he spoke in a slightly more serious tone. "Ah yes, I imagine you'll have an early morning tomorrow if my brother has anything to say about it."

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll remember that," I replied, continuing on to my room.

"You are welcome, Angel of Strife."

I paused at the mention of the odd nickname he had coined for me. "Why do you call me that? And earlier you said I look like an Angel. What did you mean by that?" I asked, facing him once more and propping my hands on my hips.

"You mean you haven't already figured that out? I thought it was obvious!" Sora said, a truly shocked look crossing his face. I wasn't in the mood to humor him though.

"So why do you call me that?" I retorted, tapping my foot impatiently to get my point across to him.

Sora grinned sheepishly at me and scratched the back of his head. "Well I call you Angel of Strife because your fist name is Angel and 'strife', in essence, seems to follow you where ever you go. It's also your last name so it fits nicely."

"And why did you say that I look like an Angel?" I repeated, beginning to get a little agitated with him.

"Because you look like one of course," Sora replied, his cheeks flaring a bright red as he shuffled closer to me, his mouth coming dangerously close to brushing against my ear."Remember I said all Angels look normal when they aren't exposing their wings? The only difference is that they're very beautiful humans. You, Cloud, are an extremely beautiful human."

My own cheeks turned scarlet and my brows furrowed as a new thought crossed my mind at his words. "You keep talking about humans as though you aren't one. Why is that?" I asked.

This time Sora didn't answer immediately and for a while the only thing to be heard was his soft breathing in my ear. Finally, just when I thought he was not going to answer, he took in a shallow, hesitant breath and I found myself holding my own."Because, dearest Angel, I'm not human. I never have been."

Shock over took me for what felt like the hundredth time that day, the air whooshing out of my lungs all at once. Lowering my voice to where not even Sephiroth could have heard, I asked the one question I had to know. "What are you then?"

Sora shifted slightly, his lips brushing against my ear and causing a shiver to shoot down my spine. "I only tell you this because I can sense you're pure. I can also pick up on the absolute loyalty and trust Zack has in you. After I share this knowledge, you must not tell anyone. Not a single soul. Only a few here know what I am. Rufus, Reeve, Sephiroth, and Genesis are the only ones."

"I understand. Your secret will always be safe with me,"I whispered back.

Nodding, he whispered, "I'm an Angel, Cloud. I am one who protects the Planet and all those within it."

The silence that passed between us then was deafening. Only our breathing and his occasional, gentle nudges against my ear. The shock left me breathless. Sora was an Angel… No wonder he took offense to my lack of knowledge earlier.

When I finally found my voice, it took me a second to sort out my muddled thoughts. "I-I um…this is a big secret, Sora. I promise to keep it to myself. Why would you want to tell me though? I'm anything but pure and my weakness is what ultimately caused Zack's death."

He chuckled as he backed away from me far enough to look me in the eye. "You honestly can't see yourself for who you really are on the inside, can you?" He asked, frowning as he stared at me."That's sad, Cloud. No matter how Angelic you look on the outside, it pales in comparison with what's on the inside."

Before I had the chance to say anything, he swept past me and headed for the stairs I had just left. Confused and a bit lost, I made it the rest of the way to my door and silently crept inside, careful not to disturb Genesis, and promptly went to sleep.

***Angels***Inner***Light***Pure***Without***Slight***

The next morning, as predicted by Sora, I woke up at five to discover Genesis hanging over me roughly shaking my shoulder. I thought I was imagining things when he asked if I wanted to spar with him. I was used to getting little to no sleep between Avalanche and early morning deliveries, but I was not used to fighting first thing in the morning.

"Why would you want to fight this early in the morning, especially before breakfast?" I grumbled, grabbing my pillow and smashed it over my head.

"Because, Cloud, early morning training for a SOLDIER that has yet to go out on their first mission is essential, especially if you aren't used to fighting half asleep," he said, ripping my blankets off of me. "If you're anything like Angeal, Sephiroth and I, it'll put you in a good mood for the rest of the day. At any rate, it wakes you up better than any caffeinated drink I know of and training is food for the soul. Up!"

Not bothering to contradict him, I got up to get dressed and grab my sword. As I did, the memories of yesterday's busy and confusing day came to the forefront of my mind. I finally admitted to myself that I have a crush on Zack, Sephiroth is actually in his right mind and is looking for his kid, and Sora is an Angel. Right… I only hoped today would be a little more normal. There was only so much I could take at once and while the WRO's SOLDIER was proving a interesting experience, I was also learning a lot of things that made me really stop and think.

Leaving my room,I found Genesis ready and waiting in the small living area reading what looked to be Loveless.

"So you read poetry and your brother reads everything about the Ancients and Angels," I said, sitting down across from him.

"Yes, I suppose that would be correct, but my brother is more interested in learning about the Ancients than the Angels,"he replied, without looking up from his book.

"I see." It made sense actually. Since Sora really was an Angel naturally he would be more interested in the Ancients than learning more about his own race.

Genesis closed his book with a sharp snap and placed it in one of the deep pockets of his coat as he rose from the couch. "You are ready to go then?" He asked, a smirk playing across his lips.

"I am," I answered, rising as well. "Let's see if this really works as well as you say it does."

***Angels***Inner***Light***Pure***Without***Slight***

I was truly surprised by how well training first thing in the morning worked. Not only did I wake up, but the adrenaline did indeed put me in a good mood. Genesis was an excellent fighter and provided a good challenge for me, but he never won. At around noon, Genesis called it quits and we left the training room in good spirits. As I was leaving though I found myself literally face to face with Zack. I stopped right before knocking my forehead against his.

Blinking rapidly and getting over the brief shock, I shot him a warm smile as I finally found my voice. "Good morning, Zack."

Beaming down at me, he pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear,"Morning, Cloud."

My cheeks flared white hot as he lightly nuzzled my ear, making a tremor shoot down my spine. Before I was able to regain control of myself, he pulled out of our embrace and turned to Genesis. The tall red head's eyebrows were arched suspiciously.

"Morning,Gen! Sparring with Cloud, huh?" He inquired, smiling over at him.

"Yes, we were just going to head down for lunch," he replied, moving his icy blue gaze over to me.

A grimace appeared on Zack's face then and he shook his head."They're serving Shinra meatloaf today. Rufus was in charge of the WRO lunch schedules this week and it shows."

A grave look passed over all our faces. The Shinra meatloaf had proven to be devastating if not deadly to those who had mako in their systems. Something about the mixture just didn't set right with any of the SOLDIERs. Rufus hadn't known about that and now anyone in SOLDIER that wasn't aware of that little fact were going to pay the price. The feel of Zack's hand sliding into mine forced my attention away from the meatloaf and I smiled, tightening my hold on his fingers.

Just then Sora came around the corner and called out to us. "Would all of you like to go with Sephiroth, Angeal and I to the Chocobo Patch since they're serving the meatloaf?"

We all nodded in agreement. Since the WRO wasn't going to serve us anything edible, we might as well go find some ourselves. When Genesis mentioned something about wanting to go find a new poetry book, I was reminded that both Zack and I needed to get Christmas gifts. The holidays were quickly approaching and I hadn't even gotten Zack or any of my other friends anything yet. As we were making our way out, Sora said that he wanted to visit some friends afterward.

***Angels***In***Flight***Tonight***This***Night***

Once we arrived at the restaurant, the hostess seated us in the largest booth. Zack sat on my left and Sephiroth on my right. As we ate, I couldn't stop glancing sideways at Zack every now and then. He was talking animatedly to Genesis while leaning against me or holding my hand at random times. It was almost like he needed to know I was still there.

After an hour had passed and lunch was beginning to wind down, Sephiroth asked if I would mind accompany him outside for some fresh air. The look in his eyes said that he wanted to talk to me alone. I nodded and Zack moved out of the booth so that Sephiroth and I could get out. Before I left, Zack gave me a hug and a cute puppy like 'hurry back' look before sitting down once more. Sephiroth cleared his throat as I followed him out of the restaurant. Once outside, he sat on a bench and sighed as I sat beside him.

"I knew you had it bad for Zack, but I wasn't aware of how bad,"he said, folding his arms over his chest.

I looked over at him and shook my head. "What makes you think that I have a crush on him, Sephiroth?"

He grinned at me, a knowing glint in his glowing mako eyes. "You forget, Cloud, that I was once in love. I can read the signs when I see them."

I groaned inwardly, feeling my face grow hot. "Alright, I'll give you that. Yes, I do have a crush on him, but nothing's going to come of it. I value our friendship too much to risk ruining it."

"Perhaps so,but will you really ever be happy until you take the chance and tell him?" Sephiroth asked, quirking a thin, silver eyebrow at me.

"I won't risk losing him right after I got him back. I don't think I'd be able to handle it."

"Very well, Cloud," he said, rising from his seat and walking a few paces in front of me. "However, I thought someone like you would have more courage than this."

_He's trying to get me to rise to the challenge by calling me a coward__. __Well I __have_ _news for you Sephiroth__,__it is__n't_ _going to work__,_ I thought, taking a slow, deep breath in through my nose.

"I'm understandably cautious when it comes to Zack. He's my greatest weakness, but also my greatest strength. I won't lose him over something as small as a crush," I said, crossing my arms defiantly over my chest.

"It's ultimately your decision, Cloud. Just make sure that your choice is one that you can live with," he replied, coming to sit back down.

I nodded in acceptance, realizing that he was just trying to help me, and promised I would think about it. Silence surrounded us as we looked out at Edge. A few children were playing on a street corner and I smiled as one of them danced around in a circle and the rest followed as a part of the game Moogle Says.

"I called one of the nurses who helped Hezera give birth," Sephiroth suddenly said, the words tumbling out of his mouth in quick succession like he couldn't get them out fast enough.

I whipped my head around to the silver haired General, one of my eyebrows arched in surprise. "Oh, what did she say?"

"She gave me the name and address of the orphanage," he answered, gripping the leather of his pants tightly.

"That's good. At least you have a number to call now."

He nodded as he stared down at the ground, a thoughtful look in his glowing eyes. "She also had something rather interesting to tell me. The reason why Hezera's labor was so difficult is because there were twins, Cloud. One of the boys made, it the other died…or so I thought. Apparently, they were able to revive the one that had died and sent him to the same orphanage as his brother,"Sephiroth explained, a new found excitement in his voice.

Nodding slowly, I fixed my eyes on his."So now you have twins you need to find?"

"Yes, but it has proven difficult so far. I spent most of the morning on the phone with the orphanage. Apparently, both of them have been adopted by different families. Other than that they can't disclose any further details. They wouldn't even tell me if their new names had been changed."

"Which orphanage were they sent to?" I asked sincerely.

"Rocket Town Orphanage or RTO, as they're more commonly known,"he answered.

My eyes widened at Sephiroth's words. "That's where I was adopted from! They know me there. What's the number? I'll give them a call and see if I can find anything out. They owe me some fairly big favors so it shouldn't be too hard."

"You would really do that for me?" Sephiroth asked, shock and surprise flying across his face.

"I told you I would help however I can and if making one simple phone call will do the most good then I'll do it. What are their names?"

"Squall and Angel," he replied, sighing heavily. I could tell speaking their names caused him a lot of pain. "Angel was the first born. Hezera named him before she died. I named Squall because the hospital needed to have a name on file for his death certificate, but that all became unnecessary when he was revived. Ask for those two names when you call." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it to me.

"Angel is a good name, as is Squall," I said, opening the paper briefly to glance at the number before stuffing it into my pocket for later.

"Thank you, Cloud. We better get back in," he said, rising from the bench and walking towards the restaurant's front door.

As we made our way back to the group I mulled over what I had just learned. A couple years ago I would have never thought I would be friends with Sephiroth. The fact that I was having such personal conversations with him was dizzying. I only hoped I would be able to get some answers for him.

It wouldn't be very hard to remember Angel's name since it used to be my own, but I would have to write Squall's down somewhere. Also, finding time to call RTO might pose a problem. With training, missions and anything else that Reeve decided to throw at me I wasn't sure when I would get the chance to call.

When we reached the booth, Zack quickly got up to let Sephiroth and I sit back down. The second I was once again seated beside him, Zack's fingers were laced through mine. My cheeks flared brightly and I turned to avoid anyone else noticing and saw Sephiroth's nod of approval. I smiled back at him before turning to catch Angeal staring intently at our male waiter. I was pretty sure Angeal was gay,but I just had to ask to be sure. I decided to blame Zack's influence.

"Angeal,don't take this the wrong way, but are you gay?" I asked, nearly whispering the last part.

My face became even redder when Angeal began laughing.

"Yes, I am, Cloud. I'm surprised you picked up on it. I normally keep my gay moments to a minimum, but I bet most of us here are gay or at least bi."

Then Zack's eyes lit up and I knew that he had gotten one of his brilliant ideas, which usually ended up getting us in trouble. That, or me embarrassed beyond belief.

"Alright then guys moment of truth! Raise your hand if you're gay!"He exclaimed, not caring that half the restaurant could hear us.

_And the winner is embarrassed beyond belief__, _I thought, beginning to lower my head in shame.

But when Angeal, Genesis, and Sora raised their hands, I started to feel better, but the fact that Zack hadn't raised his hand hadn't gone unnoticed by me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and bit down nervously on the inside of my cheek.

"Okay,now who at this table's bi? Raise your hand!" He prodded, glancing over at me with a wide grin.

I raised my hand and, to my great joy and surprise, Zack's hand also rose into the air.

"Well, that leaves us with three gay, two bi, and one straight. Wow, what a group!" Zack said, causing everyone at the table to laugh at his silly comment.

The waiter brought our check then and Zack snatched it off the surface of the table before anyone else had the chance. He paid for our meal and all of us left the restaurant together before dispersing. Zack and I said goodbye to everyone then set off to go Christmas shopping.

***Angels***In***Flight***Tonight***This***Night***

The shopping trip with Zack had been just what I had needed all week. No, all month. Walking from shop to shop and hanging out with Zack just like the old days was something I would never forget. The fact that it started snowing before we were even half way finished with our trip made it just that much more special.

I stopped by the Seventh Heaven to visit Tifa and the kids. I hadn't seen them since I left so I knew this visit was long overdue. As soon as I walked through the door Denzel ran up to me and wrapped his arms around me as tightly as he could. I hugged him back then avoided all of his attempts to get me or Zack to tell him what we got him for Christmas. The boy was nothing if not persistent.

Tifa was still sore at me, but she was at least talking to me again. Marlene showed me some of the drawings she had made while I was gone and she made Zack model for her so she could draw him. Denzel and I snickered the entire time watching Zack struggle to sit still. When it came time to leave, I promised Denzel and the rest that I would call more often if not visit whenever I could.

When we returned to the WRO SOLDIER building we quickly hid the presents in our respective apartments and spent the rest of the day sparing.

***Angels***In***Flight***Tonight***This***Night***

The next morning I once again awoke to Genesis standing over me. Apparently, he had something against letting his roommates sleep past five in the morning. He did not, however,offer to spar with me first thing and instead opted for breakfast in our small kitchen. Once we had our respective bowels of cereal and began eating, Genesis spoke up.

"So," he began, glancing up at me through his bangs. "Sora told me that he let you in on the big secret."

I nodded as I chewed. "Yeah he did. I'm not exactly sure why he did though." I paused briefly as I took another bite of cereal, choosing my next words carefully. "He also said something about me being pure and that it was a shame I couldn't see how beautiful I was on the inside."

"I see," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "Even though Sora has extraordinary perception and thinks he knows best because he's an Angel doesn't mean I'm satisfied. Do you have any idea just how rare his kind are?" I shook my head, my eyes wide, listening intently to my roommate.

"The Angels aren't nearly as close to being extinct as the Ancients are, but they're still close enough to it to cause worry. There's probably only a hundred of them left. Scientists pay a lot of money to get their hands on one and there are even some who would take advantage of that," he said, leveling me with an intense stare.

I knew exactly what he was implying though. "Genesis, I understand where you're coming from, but you don't need to worry. I wouldn't sell my most hated enemy to a scientist, much less Sora. I know what it's like to be an experiment, to be laid open and changed to the point you don't know yourself anymore. No, I wouldn't let that fate come to Sora or anyone else for that matter."

Genesis sighed heavily as he leaned forward on his elbows. "I see. I'm sorry I misjudged you, Cloud. It was wrong of me."

"No, you were just looking out for your brother, as you should,"I replied, sending him a reassuring smile.

"Yes, but it's a bit different with Sora and you."

"How so?"I asked, confused about what he was referring to.

A mischievous grin curled the corner's of Genesis' mouth upwards. "You don't know my brother has a crush on you? He has truly fallen for you."

It seemed that,once again, it was to be a day full of shocks and surprises. Even then I couldn't stop my jaw from unhinging and falling open."Genesis, I-I can't accept your brother's affection. I have someone else who holds the claim to my heart."

Genesis nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "He knows. I just wanted to make sure you knew. If he's ever overly friendly or hovers closely to you, just know that is only the affection he feels for you. Once an Angel has had their wings for a year they gain the ability to see into someone's heart and soul. It's a defense mechanism that has saved them from extinction. So, naturally, he could see that you didn't love him."

I frowned, catching onto something strange that he had said. "What do you mean by once they have their wings? Aren't they born with them?"

"Unfortunately, not. An Angel's wings don't grow until they reach a point in their lives called the dark reversal. Only then will they attain their full potential. Dark reversal is normally triggered by extreme negative emotion. Sora's trigger was the death of our parents and my decent into madness. Once an Angel experiences dark reversal, their wings take shape and grow. I hear it's a particularly painful process,"Genesis explained.

"So until this dark reversal happens they are just regular people with good looks?"I asked, finally feeling like I understood.

Genesis smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes and no. They also have great prowess with weapons, an extremely sharp mind, and the natural ability to both lead and take orders when necessary. In essence, they're the perfect SOLDIER that Hojo was always looking for. Angels truly are a wonder to be around and I love my brother dearly. He's one of the few truly precious things left on this world. A gift from the goddess, if you will."

"Genesis, I don't mean to upset you or your brother. If my heart wasn't already taken by someone else then I would have been happy to give Sora what he wants. He's the one who's beautiful on the inside and outside, not me,"I replied, glancing down at my bowl and pushing it away from me. The memories of how rude I was to him that night in the hall made me feel even worse. While I was stressed out and confused that was no reason to have treated him like that. I was not even close to being pure. Sora was wrong about me.

"Do not doubt my brothers words to you, Cloud," Genesis advised as if he had been reading my thoughts."Just as he can see that you don't love him, he can see the purity of your heart and soul. He wouldn't have told you what he did that night if it was any other way, feelings for you or not."

***Angels***In***Flight***Tonight***This***Night***

I spent my free hours after breakfast sitting by the window and watching the clouds drift by outside, thinking about everything Genesis and I had talked about. My thoughts were interrupted around noon by a message from Reeve on my PHS. Apparently, he had finally gotten my schedule together. I rose from my chair and went to sit on the couch instead to read the message.

_Hey Cloud__,__it__'__s Reeve._

_I want to congratulate you on_ _achieving F__irst __C__lass status _

_within the SOLDIER program __as well as_ _the return of your best friend. _

_He truly is something. _

_As for __the __missions for the rest of the week__,_ _I have a request. _

_Instead of getting out __into the field_ _immediately__,_

_how about giving me a hand with a little problem of mine__?_

_One of the_ _instructor__s in charge __of_ _the_ _new recruits _

_became extremely ill after eating the meatloaf yesterday afternoon. _

_The medical staff do__esn't __think he will be able to __go back to_ _work tomorrow _

_or all week for that matter. _

_Would you be willing to take over his class until he__'s recovered?_

_I know you__'re_ _a good leader__, __Cloud__,_ _and I know that _

_you can lead this class into success if you put your mind to it. _

_I have faith in you and I can't imagine __choosing __a better __person for this job__. _

_Email me back with you answer as soon as possible so that I can get things set up._

_Reeve, __h__ead __P__resident of the WRO_

Some people would never change and Reeve, thankfully, was one of them. He had always been a good leader and even better with his words than Genesis. However, I wasn't sure if this was a task I could complete.

_Sure__, __I was the leader of AVALANCHE__,__ but what does that have to do with teaching __recruits?_ I thought, chewing on my bottom lip as I reread Reeve's email.

I did a pretty fair job when Denzel asked me to teach him about swords and how to use them. This, however, was a group of kids, not just one.

_Well,Tifa was always encouraging me to try new things and make more memories. If this is what Reeve and the WRO need me to do then I'm in._

Making up my mind in a split second, I sent my positive reply back to Reeve then set off to get some training plans and classes set up. Normally, I would have done so with Zack's company, but he had been sent to the east side of Edge to deal with some mako infected dragons that had been attacking that part of the city. I had not even gotten to say good bye because the mission was urgent. I knew he was going to be okay, but still I worried about him.

I was on my way towards the elevators when I once again saw a flash of red out of the corner of my eye.

"Do you always spend your time in the hallways, Sora, or is this just a coincidence?" I asked, slowly turning towards him. The look of adoration on his face as he stared up at me from where he was sitting was almost painful now that I knew the truth behind it. And that I could not possibly return them.

"I simply find the peace and quiet the hallways provide a comfortable experience. You should try it some time," Sora suggested.

"Perhaps I will. Although, I usually go to Aerith's church when I want to be alone," I replied, sitting down next to him with one leg folded underneath me and the other bent over it with my right hand resting on my knee.

Sora sighed heavily then and looked down at his lap. "Angel, do you know what you do to me? Do you know my feelings for you?"He asked, his voice a mere whisper.

"Yes, Sora, I do and I'm sorry, but I can't give you what you want. You know why," I answered, shifting uncomfortably and staring down at the ground in guilt.

"I do know,but a man can dream, can't he?" Sora replied, his tone sorrowful. "I'm entitled to dream and wish for what cannot be. Cloud... No, Angel, you mean the world to me and if I must only be a friend then that is how it will be. Know this though. I will see that you are happy for the rest of your life. The Planet has asked too much of you too quickly and if I can take that burden from you even for a little and do what my race is meant to do, then I will."

Tears filled my eyes as I looked up at Sora and nodded slowly, suddenly feeling every bit like the young cadet I used to be. "Sora, thank you. Just knowing there is someone else that cares is all I'll ever need."

"Then I'll always be here, Angel," Sora replied,standing up and stretching his arms lazily over his head."Tell Zack that he is damn lucky to have you and that I wish him luck." Turning around, Sora calmly walked towards the elevators, waving his hand lazily. Hiding a small smile, I got up and went to get those classes set up.


	8. Moonlight Surprises

**Authors note: **

Well it seems Winter time is my time of year for writing.

Oddly enough I just seem less busy then.

Sorry once again that its taken me a year to update

life really has taken over this year.

However the length of the next three chapters should help make up for it a least a little.

The chapters will be posted throughout the holiday season.

Here is to hoping it wont take another year to update lol.

Have a wonderful thanksgiving everyone!

~VII~

Moonlight Surprises

~VII~

Word count: 4768

~VII~

I woke up the next morning to a email on my PHS. I could hear Genesis growling in the other room as I looked for the time. 0500 flashed unpleasantly back at me and I could not blame Genesis as he cursed and grumbled in the next room. Seeing Rufus' name as the sender of the email, I opened it, choosing a few choice curse words myself that would have made Cid proud.

_1st Class SOLDIER Cloud Strife_

_Yesterday, you received brief information regarding_

_your temporary mission to train the new recruits._

_Consider this message your alarm and a more informed mission briefing._

_Today, you will begin your mission at exactly 0600_

_in training room 40._

_There are thirty young boys in your squad_

_and each of them have been a part of the WRO for no more than 24 hours._

_It is your job to evaluate them and teach them the necessities_

_of surviving on the battle field._

_This mission should only last until the prearranged commander_

_is released from the hospital._

_If you have any questions or concerns,_

_please contact 1st Class Angeal Hewley,_

_who is teaching another of the three squads this year._

_You will find he has more experience and knowledge_

_of the position than you do._

_Reeve would also like me to inform you that one Zackery Fair_

_will return from his mission tonight at 1900 and wishes to meet you_

_in the usual area at 2000._

_Good luck today, Cloud._

_P.S._

_There will be no training tomorrow_

_as it is Christmas day._

_The cadets are already aware_

_so there will be no further instruction needed_

_in this matter._

Shaking my head I got up out of bed and took my morning shower. Thoughts of Zack coming back filled my mind. A warm feeling of happiness spread through me, making me day dream a bit. I knew that I wanted to tell Zack about my feelings. I had always been able to tell him everything. Yet, if he knew I was interested in him, would he still accept me? Shaking my head once more I dried off quickly, got dressed, and shouted good bye to a disgruntled Genesis on my way out. If Zack's actions where telling at all, the best thing to do in my situation was wait for Zack to give me a significant sign of his true affections. Until then, I would focus on today and meet him tonight on the roof.

Getting into the elevator, I hit the button for floor 5 and waited. Only two floors down the elevator stopped and Angeal walked into the elevator, nodding at me as he pushed for floor 4.

"Hello Cloud. Going to your first class?" he greeted, glancing sideways at me.

"Yeah, did Rufus tell you?"

"Actually, Reeve let me know this morning while I was drinking my coffee. If you need any help, let me know. What are you doing in your first lesson?"

"I thought I would start out with laps then teach them the proper way to hold a sword."

"That's a good place to start. You can see who is going to be quick learners, who will need help, which ones are physically fit, and which ones will need extra laps. It's also snowing rather hard out there again so you can see which ones will follow your command and respect you. Those who don't are going to be complaining and whining. Be sure to keep a eye on them."

"I'll keep that in mind. This may be the WRO, but it's still SOLDIER and we all went through the cadet program at some time."

"Yes, my own days were not the cleanest, truth be told. When you know Genesis you can't help but get pulled into his every plot. Just remember, Cloud, these cadets are the future of SOLDIER. Make sure they have the honor and pride to become one."

"I will. You don't have to worry."

The elevator opened onto the fifth floor and Angeal stepped out with me then called out to me as I made my way towards the room.

"Wait Cloud, did you hear about the exception recruit we got yesterday?"

I looked back at him and shook my head. "No, I didn't. Is he in my class?"

"No, and that's the point. He isn't in any class right now. His name is Storm and Reeve said that he and Rufus were so impressed with his skills already that they wanted to promote him to 1st Class and skip the training period. No one, not even Sephiroth, was allowed to do that. They're in a meeting right now to talk with Storm and see if he agrees."

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked, arching an eyebrow as I looked over at him.

"There are those who oppose the WRO, Cloud. I just hope that Storm is not an enemy spy. If so, I'm not sure that even you could stop him if he is as good as Reeve says he is. I plan to keep a eye on him along with Genesis and Sephiroth. Are you willing to do the same?"he inquired, staring at me pointedly.

I nodded. "Yes, I'll be sure to keep a eye on him if he makes it, Angeal. I understand the risk."

"Good, good." He paused and half turned in preparation of reentering the elevator before angling his head back towards me. "Oh, Sephiroth also wished to meet with you briefly after your class."

"Sephiroth?"I clarified, feeling slightly perplexed.

"Yes. Head to his office on your way to drop off the mission report for today."

"Alright, I will."

"Right. Well, good luck with your class and keep what I said in mind."

With that, Angeal pressed the elevator button, entering it, and waving curtly as the doors shut. I turned and continued on my way down the hall to the training room. My thoughts were on this Storm and what he must have gone through before the WRO to already have the power of a 1st Class SOLDIER.

Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****

Upon entering the training room, I was greeted by the muttering and shifting of thirty uniformed cadets. I walked swiftly to the front of the crowd of cadets, standing with my arms folded behind my back and head up. They all went to attention and I nodded, pleased with their swiftness.

I let the silence hang between us for a moment as I appraised them, clearing my throat."All of you know why you're here and what is expected of you as cadets. You know this is your life that you're putting on the line. So I won't waste my breath going over those facts. All of you, I hope, have seen the sign above the SOLDIER doors. To be SOLDIER is to have pride and honor, without them you mean little to this company. What does the WRO stand for?"

A small man in the back raised his hand first and I met his gaze, nodding in his direction.

"WRO stands for World Regeneration Organization. We fight for the restoration of the world after the Shinra and Jenova disaster, killing the mako affected monsters and those who oppose the planets revival," he recited.

"That is correct," I replied firmly. "If any of you has a reason to be here other than the protection and revival of the planet, please leave now."

The silence that followed was absolute, no one moved or spoke. The fact that none of them left gave me hope that maybe there was still hope for the planet.

"You will refer to me as Commander Strife or 1st Class Cloud. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Sir!"they shouted in unison.

"We will start this morning with fifty laps around the SOLDIER building. Those that do not finish have to do the remaining laps times ten in pushups."

"But, Sir, it's snowing out there! It's a blizzard, we can't run in that!" a cadet shouted. Many of the other cadets were nodding and murmuring in agreement.

Shaking my head, I glared into the helmet of the one that had complained. "Do you think that the conditions on missions are always going to be favorable? Or that you will not ever have to walk across a snowy mountain?"

He was silent for a moment as he considered my questions. "Well, no sir, but this is only our first day of training."

"Whether it's the first day or the last, it does not matter. The weather won't wait and neither will Reeve. So line up and follow me."

Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****

Twenty eight of the recruits failed to finish all fifty laps. Three of them almost made it, but only two finished. If I was honest with myself, I had not expected any of them to finish. The two that did were worth a second look for sure. My assumptions were further proven during the introduction to basic sword techniques. Both cadets already knew how to handle a sword with some sort of grace, so I pulled them aside to practice basic sword strikes. Both of the boys had good form that had to be previous training and good mentors. Keeping my thoughts to myself, I returned my attention to the rest of the class who still needed a constant and watchful eye.

Once training was over for the night, I pulled the two more promising cadets aside. Both looked nervous and followed my every movement with their heads as I walked towards them. Motioning one of them over to a corner of the room, I readied my questions.

Stopping in front of me, he saluted and said in a strong voice, "Yes, Commander Strife?"

"Take off your helmet, please. I don't like talking to people when I can't see their eyes."

The young man nodded in understanding and took his helmet off. He had shoulder length silver hair and bright aqua eyes that shined with intelligence and a strong determination. "My brother is the same way, you know," he said, one corner of his mouth curled up. "He hates talking to people unless he can see their eyes. Must be a soldier thing, I guess."

I nodded and a small smile touched my lips. "It must be. What is your name?"

"Riku, Sir, Riku Nanovan from North Corel. Have I done something wrong?"

I immediately shook my head. "No, I was just curious. You did well in today's training. I just wanted to tell you to keep up the good work."

"Thank you,Commander. I really want to get into SOLDIER to make my brother proud and serve the planet. It's my dream."

"You'll be successful as long as you stay diligent."

"I will, Sir and have a Merry Christmas tomorrow!"

Nodding at Riku, I dismissed him and waved the other boy over.

He came over much as Riku had and stood before me. There was something familiar about the way he stood. It was almost the same posture I had used in my years as a cadet. His voice and sword tactics had also been familiar, but I could not place them. My musings were interrupted by the boy as he spoke up.

"I want you to know this is my choice and I just want you to be proud of me and accept my decision."

I knew then who I was talking to and I cursed to myself that it hadn't dawned on me sooner. "Denzel..."

He took off his helmet and stood in front of me with determination. "I want to fight, Dad! I want to protect the planet and make sure that something like Meteor never happens again. I asked Reeve a long time ago if I could join the WRO. He said I was too young then, but I'm older now and I can fight!"

"Denzel, I know you can fight, but working for the WRO is too dangerous." Walking forward, I pulled him into a hug, my heart crying out at the thought of losing him or worse, that he might face a fate similar to my own. "I don't want to lose you too. I can't. I won't."

"I've made up my mind. With you as my trainer, I know I can succeed. Tifa and Yuffie both agree with me. They said it was alright and encouraged me to join. I just want to be with you, please. Just once let me in and let me join you here."

I sighed heavily, my arms falling back to my sides. "Denzel, I know I've not been the best father, but I still love you and want you to be safe. I'll visit more often or something, but please don't do this. You're still too young."

He shook his head with finality. "I'm sorry, Dad, but this really is something I need to do. Besides, you and I both know you don't have time to visit more often."

I knew he was right, but it still hurt. Tifa had said once that as a father you're supposed to want the best for your children, but you're supposed to support him too. Nodding my head, I did the only thing I could do if he was set on it and that was to support him. If he was going to do this, I was going to do the right thing as a father for once and be there for him.

"Alright, if you really need to, then I'll be here for you. If you need anything or if anyone gives you a hard time, you let me know, alright?" I lifted a hand and placed it on his head,smiling at him.

His young face lit up. "Thanks, Dad. That means a lot."

"So I've heard. Now head off with the other cadets and, Denzel, report to the 20th floor, room 308 tomorrow at 0600 sharp. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir!"

As Denzel started to walk away, I called out to him, remembering why I had called him over to begin with. "Good work today, son. Keep it up."

"Thank you,Dad. I will."

As the doors closed behind him, I knew I had made the right decision even if it had been a hard one.

Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****

After I had written up a quick mission report, I headed to the SOLDIER offices on the 15th floor. I had not been assigned an office yet and until I was given one, reports were to be given directly to a man named Lazard. I had heard the name on a few occasions from my time in Shinra, but never had the chance to meet the head of SOLDIER. According to rumors going around, he, like Sephiroth and a few others, was getting a second chance with the WRO.

Knocking on Lazard's office door, I waited with my report in hand. Shuffling sounds were quickly followed by a brief "come in". Entering the room, I saluted the blond man sitting behind the desk.

"1st Class Cloud Strife with my mission report for the day, Sir." The hauntingly blue eyed gaze that met mine somehow reminded me of Rufus'. Despite the fact that Lazard had glasses and was taller, I could not help but wonder if they were related somehow. Possibly cousins...

"Ah, yes, Strife, it's nice to meet you," he greeted, smiling charmingly."Rufus and Reeve both speak very highly of you and your work with Avalanche. I also hear you are very close to 1st Class Zackary?

"Thank you and yes, Zack and I are good friends, Sir."

"Good, yes, very good." He shifted a little behind his desk and held out his hand for the report. "I'll look it over and approve it by tonight. You are dismissed, SOLDIER Strife."

Turning, I walked out of the room and looked for Sephiroth's office next. It wasn't that far from Lazard's and, after knocking first, I entered. Sephiroth was sitting behind his desk deeply buried in paperwork.

"Are those the recruit files?" I asked as I came to a stop in front of his desk.

Without looking up from the papers in front of him, Sephiroth shook his head and answered, "A few of them are here, but mostly it's the paperwork to promote Storm to 1st Class."

"So he is being directly promoted then." A resigned sigh escaped my parted lips before I could reign it in.

"Yes, and since I've been returned to General status I have to deal with the paper work or some of it at least. As director of SOLDIER, Lazard has most of the paperwork."

"I see..." I answered, going silent as Sephiroth continued working. "Angeal said you wanted to talk to be about something."

"Yes and no," he replied curtly. "Have you called the orphanage?"

"Yeah, I had some free time yesterday and called. They weren't much help though."

"I see."

"They told me both boys were adopted by families that lived in different cities, but they couldn't tell me who adopted them or what cities the parents were from. All I know is that they are no longer in Rocket Town. They also hinted that at least one of them had their name changed," I explained.

Sephiroth was quiet for a moment. "Well, that's more than I was able to get from them. I'm sorry to have wasted your time in what was undoubtedly a doomed mission."

"It wasn't a waste of time. We did get more information and I also had the chance to ask a few questions about where I came from."

"Did you find anything?"

"Not really, just the usual. My mom adopted me when I was two years old and changed my name to Cloud. They couldn't tell me the names of my biological parents or where I was originally from. The only answer I got was if I had any siblings they knew about and that was a solid no."

"Your name was changed?" he asked, looking up at me with interest.

"Like your son, my name used to be Angel, but my mom felt like it was too girly and changed it to Cloud."

"Both names fit you aptly, in my opinion."

"Thank you. Was there anything else?"

"Yes, since the orphanage would not cooperate then we will just have to look for them by appearance."

Reaching his left arm over, Sephiroth opened a drawer and pulled out an aged picture. "This is a picture of Angel and Squall two days after they were born. The nurse that I talked to had the picture and sent it to me."

Handing me the picture, he pointed to the two sleeping babies lying side by side."You see how Squall's hair is already starting to spike and Angel's is flat? We think that Angel should have straight hair like mine, but blond, and Squall should have Hezera's spiky hair, but silver. Both boys have her eyes. If you meet anyone who fits those descriptions and is around your own age, please let me know."

"I will. Although, I hope they never end up in SOLDIER."

"As do I...Angel."

Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****Eye*****Of*****The*****Storm*****

After leaving Sephiroth's office, I went to meet up with Zack, eager to see him again. The climb upstairs to the roof had never been so long. Thoughts kept running through my head like a stampede of wild chocobos. Was Denzel going to be alright? What if he was picked on just like I had been? Was Zack okay? Did the mission go well? Does he feel the same as I do or were the kisses just Zack being himself? Could I handle it if he didn't share my feelings? Is this Storm a enemy spy? Or am I seeing things that are not really there?

I paused and rubbed my pounding temples. There were just way too many questions with not enough answers. When I finally reached the roof, Zack was already there, standing near the edge of the roof and looking at the setting sun. He must have heard me, though, because he turned around when the door opened and smiled at me brightly as ever.

Zack's smiles had always been special because of the pure emotion he could convey with just one simple gesture. My heart sped up and a warm feeling washed over me as I looked him over closely. He looked tired and, according to the smile, maybe a little worried about something, but he was here in one piece. I went to stand next to him, gazing at the sunset's last moments with him.

"Hey there, Chocobo," he greeted after a few silent moments. "How was your first day of class?"

"It was fine. A few of the candidates might end up as Turks or grunts though. How was your mission?"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "It was alright. The mako enhanced monsters are getting stronger though. Reeve suspects there might be a group that is making them again."

Disappointment shone clearly in my eyes. "Why after everything that's happened with Jenova, Meteor, and Omega do people continue to mess with the planet?" I asked myself.

Zack shook his head and sighed. "I don't know, Chocobo. Reeve's looking into it, but you'll probably be called out to deal with the monsters soon enough." He paused and looked over at me with a lopsided grin."Wouldn't it be cool if we went together next time?You and me fighting together just like old times."

"Yeah, that would be great. Maybe I can save your butt for once."

"Aww, come on, man! Who says I can't still kick your butt, hmm?"

"Why haven't you tried then? Are you perhaps afraid that I will be the one kicking your butt?" I said, looking over at him with a half grin and narrowed eyes.

"Oh no, Chocobo, if I hadn't been so busy lately, your ass would have been mine a long time ago."

I couldn't help the blush that came over my face as thoughts of just what Zack could do to my ass came to mind. I loved Zack, but he just did not know the affect he had on me. Now that I was aware of it, I don't know how I could have ever thought that my feelings for Zack were anything but love. No matter what it did to me though I missed training with Zack too much to pass it up.

"Why don't you give it a shot tomorrow in the training room, pup?" I challenged.

"I wish I could, Spikes, but coming back here was just a quick pit stop to fill out my report on the last mission. There are some big monster problems up in Wutai that I got called to take care of. We head out in half a hour," he told me, his shoulders drooping as he sighed heavily. "I'm gonna try and be back by tomorrow night, but I'm just not sure."

Zack sat down on the edge of the building and pulled me down next to him. He looked deep in thought and I was reluctant to interrupt him, but I had to be the voice of reality.

"Zack, you and I both know the only thing fast enough to get you to Wutai and back in about one day is a airship going all out. And I know Cid gave most of the air travel department and himself Christmas off to be with their families."

"Hey, I said I was gonna try, Cloud, and I have my ways okay? I'm not so worried about getting there and back again as I am that things are gonna take too long on the actual mission. I really want to spend some of Christmas with you. It's tradition and I've already got years to make up for."

"I know. It'll be our first one together since you died."

Zack shifted beside me and before I knew it he had wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me to him. Looking over, I saw a sad smile on his face and knew that no matter what, if he could, Zack would be back before Christmas was over. Smiling back at him, I leaned into him more, putting by head on his shoulder, and hoping it was not too bold of a move.

Zack rested his head on mine and sighed. "Don't worry, Cloud. I'll be back before you know it. Then we can see who is truly stronger! I warn you, though, I'm a lot better than when you last fought me. After all, I am a hero and hero's are the best!"

"Win or lose, Zack, you'll always be a hero in my eyes. You were always there for me no matter what. During our time with Hojo, you would always hold me after the experiments were over for the day, telling me that it would be alright soon. Then you saved me from Hojo and took care of me when I was little more than a vegetable. But most of all, Zack, you did the one thing I will never forget. You gave your life to save mine. Zack, you are a hero, you're my hero." Blushing, I looked down.

You would think that after all I had done, expressing myself would be a simple matter. However, Zack could always bring out the blushing teenager inside of me. Or really the teenager in me period.

"Thanks, Cloud. At least I'm someone's hero, right? Even if the one I saved could probably still give me a run for my gil in a fight."

Noting that he had admitted that he would probably lose, I playfully elbowed him. "That's alright, Zack. Just go find that super SOLDIER the WRO recruited. If he is as powerful as Angeal says he is then he might just beat me for you."

"Are you talking about that Storm guy? I heard he was immediately put into SOLDIER and 1st Class no less. But really I still don't think he could beat you. Just because he has the power to be a 1st Class already does not mean he is any stronger than you. Just means he got a hold of mako somewhere else and trained hard before getting here."

"I guess. I'm still going to reserve judgment until I meet him and get to know more about him."

"That's the spirit, Spikes!" Zack exclaimed, patting my shoulder.

Laughing at his optimism, I untangled myself from his hold and stood up, looking towards the sky again. The sun had completely set and the stars were beginning to dot the sky. A full moon lit up the night sky and I could not help but notice as Zack stood up with me how the soft moonlight made his raven hair shine. The blue eyes that had locked with mine shone not just with mako ether, but the pure indomitable spirit that Zack always seemed to have. I can honestly say that Zack had never looked as beautiful as he did now.

"Hey, Cloud, do you think I could give you my Christmas present a little early?" he asked, sounding hopeful. Surfacing from my thoughts enough to nod, I wondered where that had come from. Instead of reaching for an item on his person, though, he stepped towards me, his bright eyes inches from my own. My heart felt as if it would beat right out of my chest and my breathing sped up.

"Zack, wha -!"

I never finished my sentence as his warm lips, so soft and comforting, enveloped my own, effectively sending me to cloud nine. I pressed back into the kiss, moving my lips softly against his, letting him know soundly what my answer was. Tingles spread through my body as Zack's scent encompassed me. I smiled into the kiss as he began to relax, letting out a sigh through his nose.

Just as Zack had relaxed, though, a loud buzzing sound interrupted us. Using a few choice swear words that would have made Cid proud, Zack backed up with an apologetic glance and turned off the alarm on his PHS.

"Zack, I..."

"It's okay, Cloud. I've just really got to go so I can get back while it's still Christmas. The missions helicopter is waiting on me. I just wanted to let know that I truly love you. I always have, my Angel. I'll never leave your side again if I can help it, okay? It's up to you if that's as a loving partner or just friends."

With that, he ran off towards the launch pad and his next mission, leaving me cursing Reeve and all the monsters in Wutai.


	9. Of Christmas, Love, and Angels

Merry Christmas one and all!

May feast, song and flowing wine fill you

while peace finds you within your homes .

This chapter rings with the fruit of love

many findings within to see.

I hope you find what you seek

and take this with you while you sleep.

New years will come

with the dawning of a new age

and more surprises to come.

Word count 7895

Making my way down from the roof top, I was still in a daze from the kiss. Slowly coherent thought started to seep back into my brain. Zack's last words rang incessantly through my head. What did he mean or just as friends? Of course I loved him. Why would I have kissed him back otherwise? Of all the times Zack had been with someone, he had never been an insecure lover. So why was he so hesitant now? That would have to be one of the many things to ask Zack once he gets back.

As I passed the many offices and hall ways on my way to pick up a hopefully evaluated mission review, I heard yelling coming from the 1st Class SOLDIER offices I had visited earlier. One voice was very familiar as it belonged to Genesis. However, I could not place the second voice. From the sounds of it, the argument was very heated and I fully intended to leave it alone. If Genesis felt like sharing he would tell me once he got back to the room, or in the morning over breakfast. I had been through too much during the day to get in the middle of an argument tonight when my brain was still kiss drunk.

Picking up my mission report, I made may way to the elevator still hearing the raised voices. Getting in, I quickly pressed my floor number, grateful to leave the fight behind. Whoever had picked a fight with or got on the bad side of Genesis was going to be sorry if it broke into a actual fight. Genesis was extremely close to Sephiroth in battle and was not someone to be taken lightly. Exiting the elevator, I made my way through the hall way to the apartment Genesis and I shared. I was interrupted once again on my way there. This time it was by a drawling, sneering, stuck up voice I was not at all happy to hear.

"So it is true then that you came crawling back to the place you really don't belong in. Why am I not surprised, Strife?"My last name being spit out like a curse.

I turned to face Herald, the ring leader of the 'We Hate Cloud Strife Bully Band' who used to make my life as a cadet hell. "I'm more surprised to see you here, Herald. It would seem that the WRO really will promote anyone to First if they have the skill. Even if their personality needs some work."

"Shut up, Strife!" he growled, glaring at me. "I don't care what you've done since leaving Shinra like the cowardly dog you are. I know deep down you're still the small, useless wimp we used to beat up! You ran away from Shinra while I stayed to protect it with my life! I had to watch as you and your band of soulless worms brought the world's greatest company to its knees. I hate you, Strife, and don't you forget it! I would watch my back if I were you!" With that, Herald turned and walked away.

Mind racing, I opened the apartment door and, kicking off my boots, made my way to my bedroom. A part of me had hoped that Herald would have grown up in all the time that had passed or that death would have given him peace, but apparently it hadn't. If anything, he seemed to hate me even more. I was not worried about his empty threats, though, and got into bed, falling asleep instantly.

Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****

Next morning I awoke suddenly as Genesis came stomping down the hall, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Get up, Strife!" My bedroom door flew open and Genesis promptly flipped on the lights. "We've got a score to - WHAT THE HELL?!"

Stumbling into a sitting position, I checked the time then glared at Genesis' form framed in my open door. "And I'm sure all of hell heard that, Genesis. Now would you mind telling me why you are yelling at me at four in the morning on Christmas?" I asked, not bothering to mask the irritation in my voice.

He stared at me in confusion for a few moments before regaining his bearings."Alright, what's going on?" he shouted, his voice still raised as he came to stand in front of my bed. "How did you have the time to die your hair from silver back to blonde last night?"

"What are you talking about? I've never died my hair before."

"Last night when we had that fight over whether or not you could date my brother, you had silver hair!" he exclaimed, pointing at my head.

I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes. "I've already told you, I'm not interested in being any more than friends with Sora because of Zack. I heard you yelling at someone on my way to the elevators last night, but I was not the one you were fighting with."

Silence filled the room. You could have heard a pin drop as Genesis' face turned from confused to guilty then horror stricken.

"A man who looked and sounded almost exactly like you tracked me down last night by my office and asked for my permission to court my brother. Thinking he was you, I told him no and that he'd already had his chance to be with Sora." He paused and sighed heavily."Now I understand where he was coming from when he kept saying he had never had the chance before. We were supposed to battle it out in the training room this morning."

"Both looked and sounded like me?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Looks can be deceiving, but I'm a hard one to fool, Cloud. He had me convinced that you were the one I was conversing with. Do you perhaps have a lost twin I should be on the lookout for?" he asked, crossing his arms and eyeing me critically.

"I called the orphanage I came from a couple days ago on other business and asked them the same question. Everyone who is adopted wonders about having a twin or at least a sibling, but the orphanage was sure that I was a only child."

"I see. Well, I guess he could be some psycho fan or just looks freakishly like you."

"It might be a crazy fan, but I'm not sure," I replied, shaking my head."I've never come across fans before. Sure, there are people who admire and are thankful for what AVALANCE did, but no crazy fans. Maybe...no, never mind."

"What?If it has something to do with this guy, I need to know before I give him any kind of permission to even go near my brother."

"Alright, fine. When I was younger, Hojo took Zack and I in for experiments. He was trying to recreate Sephiroth and make clones of him. He might have tried to clone me to see if the Sephiroth genetics came out stronger in a clone of me. He kept mumbling about how to make the cells stronger, but I doubt that Hojo would waste that kind of money on a clone of me."

"Well, if you do not have a twin then that has got to be what he is. Indeed, he is practically identical to you except for his hair."

"You still have a fight with him this morning?"

"Yes, however if he is not you per say and has no other romantic interests then I am not opposed to him trying for my brother's love."

"You don't have to fight him," I said, combing my fingers through my unruly hair. "I'll come with you and we'll explain the situation. Maybe even get some answers."

"Very well. It's training room ten. Let's get going, he'll be there soon."

Groaning, I got up out of bed and readied myself for the day, quickly placing everyone's presents under the Christmas tree. Zack's would have to wait until he got back. A look outside showed a strong blizzard was blowing through and all hope of seeing Zack tonight was lost. No aircrafts would be flying in today and blizzards last for days around Edge.

Meeting Genesis at the door, he and I made our way down to training room ten.

Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****

As we approached the training room doors, I saw my silver haired look-alike and had to agree with Genesis. It was scary how similar we were. From his looks to the way he crossed his arms while waiting, everything about our appearances were the same. However, something in the back of my mind told me I had seen this man before. He was...familiar.

When the silveret noticed us, I saw the confusion and astonishment cross his face at my visage. "What's going on here?" he asked, looking between Genesis and I with a wary gaze.

It took me a moment to reply because Genesis was right, his voice sounded a lot like mine. Giving credence to the thought that Hojo had made a clone of me, I cleared my throat and gave him a tentative smile."We are here to apologize for last night. You really threw Genesis here for a loop. He thought you were me with silver hair."

Comprehension crossed his face and he nodded. "I can see why he would be confused. Why do you look so much like me?" he asked, looking uncomfortable.

Genesis took the opportunity to join in. "We were hoping you could tell us that."

"I don't have a clue why. It seems as though we are twins, but my own twin has a different hair style."

_Well, there goes the clone idea. Hojo would never have made two clones__,_I thought.

Shaking my head, I let out a deep sigh. "And I don't have a twin. What is your name?"

"Storm Nanovan from North Corel."

Comprehension dawned on me and I nodded at him. "Cloud Strife from Nibelheim. You're the new super SOLDIER."

A frown crossed his face and he looked away. "I'm not a super SOLDIER. I'm a fully mature Angel who has a talent for fighting."

Shock and guilt filled me. If Storm was an Angel then there was no way he was a enemy spy. I needed to tell Angeal and Sephiroth soon. Genesis was the first to react, however, as he let out a exclamation of comprehension, though not the one I expected. "That's why you were so bent on going after my brother! Your soul has resonated with his and you want to take it further!"

"Yes, and I swear to you I will take care of him," Storm said, locking gazes with Genesis. "I'll never abandon him or turn him down for any reason."

Putting my confusion aside, I cleared my throat, feeling the need to explain. "Sora actually sought me out as a mate and I turned him down because I was in love with someone else. So when Genesis thought you were me he turned you down, wishing to spare his brother."

"Oh, then I can have a chance with him now?" he asked hopefully.

I glanced over at Genesis, who looked to be deep in thought. He slowly nodded in Storm's direction. "As long as you do everything you promised. Sora will come to you if he is interested."

"And never leave you alone until he is given an answer," I muttered under my breath.

Genesis burst out laughing and Storm blushed a bit.

"Well, if there is no need for a fight, I'm leaving." Genesis turned to make his way to the elevator. "Good luck to you, Storm. I'll be watching." Chuckling and with a mischievous grin, Genesis entered the elevators and was gone.

Hearing a shuffling, I saw Storm turning to leave as well. Suddenly remembering something, I called out to him. "Storm, is Riku Nanovan your brother?"

Turning back, Storm look confused, but nodded. "Yes, he is. How do you know him?"

"I am his temporary instructor and commander. He is a very good student and I have to ask, has Riku gotten his wing yet?"

He shook his head, one side of his mouth quirking upwards. "Riku is my adoptive brother and not an Angel. His family adopted me from Rocket Town when I was three years old."

"I'm sorry, you said you had a twin. You and Riku look so much alike I thought you could be fraternal twins."

"No, I'm older than Riku. Also, my twin and I looked a lot more alike than Riku and I do. Like I said, if your hair where straight instead of spiky you might have been him."

My eyes narrowed, a strange sensation slithering beneath my skin, prompting me to continue my questioning. "If you don't mind me asking,what happened to your twin?"

He took a deep breath. "It's a long story."

"I don't have to be anywhere for another hour, so I've got time."

Nodding, Storm sat down next to a window and motioned me to join him. I sat down and prepared myself to listen. I felt that Storm, like Sephiroth, just needed to someone to listen. And if my suspicion was correct it, would make a lot of sense. Storm took another deep breath and started his tale.

"At the orphanage, a lot of people passed me up because…well, because I was different. I was exceptionally smart. I was talking at two months and walking at four months. I learned and developed quicker than the other children. I also have a photographic memory. The only person who never judged me for it was my brother."

"It had to be hard for you both."

"It was, but I always took care of my brother. We were all each other had. He was always picked on by the older boys because even at two years old, he couldn't talk. I made sure to protect him and be there to comfort him. He had just started to bond with me as a brother when he was adopted."

"Without you?"I asked with a frown.

"Yes, the woman only wanted one. I still remember his face, his eyes. I braided his long blonde hair the day he was adopted. He hugged me good bye and talked to me for the first time ever as he left saying, "good bye, Stormy," he said, squeezing his eyes shut, one of his fists clenching tightly. "I haven't seen him since. My brother leaving is what triggered my dark reversal. I tried to get him back and keep him, but they ended up locking me away and my brother still left."

"Have you tried looking for him?"

"Yes, I joined the WRO because, as an Angel, it is my duty to protect the Planet. I just get paid for it here. However, it is my secret hope that SOLDIER can help me look for my brother and possibly my biological parents. The WRO has a large data base of known Angels, so it's possible I'll be able to find my whole family," he said with a smile.

"Have you tried asking the RTO for information?"

"I think the orphanage is still scared of me. They refuse to give me any information or even talk to me. The dark reversal is never pleasant for those on the receiving end."

"Don't worry about it too much. I would have been surprised if you had gotten any information at all. Even favors don't mean much to the RTO when it comes to finding answers. I'm originally from there and the only part of my past I got from them was that I never had siblings."

"Do you remember the orphanage at all?"

"No, I don't, but then I was only two years old when my family adopted me. I was too young to really remember much. In any, case my memory has never been real strong. Even if I had memories from before, I don't now. I forgot everything about who I was when I was sixteen because of mako poisoning. I'm just now starting to get some of them back."

"Sorry to hear it."

We were silent for a while, but my mind was anything but silent. Everything added up. Sephiroth had two sons sent to the RTO, one with spiky silver hair and one with straight blonde hair. He was the right age and was similar in many ways to Sephiroth. I had to tell him about Storm tomorrow or today if we were ever alone.

Storm was the one who broke the silence. "It's strange. I have not talked to anyone else about my twin in over twenty years. Not sure why I'm telling you about him. I just met you, after all."

"I'm just really easy to talk to, I suppose. Sora also said something about me being pure and trust worthy."

"Yeah, that's probably it. You're a very special person, Cloud. Every Angel can sense it. I am happy that even if things did not work out with Sora, another Angel has marked you as theirs."

I frowned in shock and surprise, reflexively leaning away. "Another Angel marked me?"

"Yes. Wait, you mean you were marked by a, Angel and did not even know it?"he asked, his silver brows scrunching together.

I shook my head. "No, the only Angels I know are Sora and yourself. What is a Angel's mark?"

"An Angel's mark is a claim and warning to others that you are theirs. Usually, an Angel marks their mate by kissing them. It leaves a scent that is unique to that Angel."

"The only person I've kissed is Zack and he is most defiantly not an Angel."

"I see and he would have needed to have his wings to leave the mark," Storm explained. "The ability does not awaken until after a dark reversal. Unless your Zack is keeping a great secret from you, then no, it was not he who marked you."

"Oh."I looked away from Storm, a feeling of disappointment flowing through me.

"Look for the Angel who marked you without your knowledge and soon. Because if you love another and do not want them harmed then make your true feelings aware to the Angel in question," he said with a serious expression.

"I will. So you're sure that Riku isn't an Angel? He really is extraordinary in his classes."

He smiled and nodded. "I am fairly sure Riku is not a, Angel. Not unless my family has been keeping a great secret from me and keeping it well. Some Angels have the ability to sense other Angels even in dormant form, but I am not one of them."

"I see."

"However, Riku is adopted too, so you never know."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind."

Suddenly, I saw Sora running for the stairs that lead all the way up to the top floor. As he passed us, he yelled out a challenge. "Bet I can make it to your apartment before you do, Angel! Better hurry up!"he called with a laugh.

Quickly, I got up and nodded to Storm. "I gotta go. It was nice talking to you." Before taking off down the hall, running for the stairs after Sora. He may be an Angel, but I was chosen by the Planet herself.

Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****

Much to Sora's displeasure, I made it to my apartment first. I was also scolded by Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth for not opening the door but instead running through the door. After all the excitement had ebbed, we had all settled onto the furniture to open gifts. Angeal claimed the recliner while Sephiroth sat on one side of the couch with Sora in the middle and me on the end. Genesis was sitting on Sephiroth's lap since every other spot was taken.

A scuffling came from the door as Denzel stuck his head through the hole. "Dad?"

"Over here, Denzel," I called from my place on the couch.

"Wow, Cloud, you're a dad?!" shouted Sora from beside me.

Sephiroth's eyebrows raised as he glanced over and I nodded. "I adopted Denzel after Meteor and..." Flashing a quick glance at Sephiroth, I wisely shut my mouth and waved Denzel inside. Grinning, he ran toward me and pounced into my lap. I grunted,pretending to act like he squished me, causing everyone to laugh.

Once all the presents had been passed around, Denzel chose that moment to ask, "Why is there a hole in the door?"

Smirking, Genesis answered, "Because you father could not be bothered to slow down enough to open the door in a civilized manner when my brother was catching up to him in their haste to get here."

Once again, laughter reigned and, as I looked around, I couldn't help but feel like I was truly part of a family. A messed up and deranged SOLDIER family, but a family none the less. Avalanche was my family as well, but more of a extended family. Even though none of my old comrades lived together, we were still united.

Genesis opened Sora's gift, a handmade moogle hat, which he swiftly placed on Sephiroth's head, much to the general's chagrin. Angeal had already positioned his hand made Viking helmet atop his head and was watching with a smile. Sephiroth had gotten some demon horns that now clashed strangely with the moogle hat, making Genesis and Sora chuckle under their breath. Dreading what I was to find, I opened my gift from Sora and, sure enough, there it was. Snow white and with real feathers, a white chocobo hat looked out at me. Somewhere, somehow, Sora had found out white chocobos were my favorite.

"Thank you, Sora," I said, gently lifting the hat out of the box to get a closer look at it.

"You're welcome!" He leaned over closer and whispered in my ear, "The feathers are from my own wings, so they won't fall off or get damaged, ever."

Stunned that Sora would give me something like that, I just barely managed to stutter out, "T-thank you, Sora. I'll treasure it forever."

He nodded in satisfaction then proceeded to open his present from Sephiroth. He shouted with glee as he pulled out The Complete History of Angels written in Angelic. Opening mine from Sephiroth, I found The Complete History of Angels in Common and a beginner's guide to learning Angelic. Seeing me open it, he inclined his head toward me.

"I figured if you are going to be around Sora and his fascination, you need to read those. If you have any questions, I'm sure he will be more than willing to enlighten you."

"Thank you, Sephiroth."

Genesis let out a excited yell as he opened his next present and immediately turned to kiss Sephiroth on the lips. My jaw dropped and I shifted Denzel, who had fallen asleep after opening my gift of three new video games, to see what had elicited such a reaction. It looked like a Wutinese version of Loveless.

Sephiroth looked exceptionally happy with his reaction and was kissing Genesis back passionately. Thoughts of Zack came to my mind and I shook them off as Angeal opened another one of his gifts to find a new video game console.

We all got poetry books from Genesis after he had surfaced from Sephiroth. I got a How to Train Your Puppy book from Angeal. He swore it would work on Zack, at least a little bit. Sephiroth got a sword polishing kit, Genesis got a new knife set, and Sora got his favorite expensive leather polish and a feather duster.

After all the presents had been opened, I took Denzel to his room and tucked him into his bed quietly, nodding to Riku who was sitting in the other bed reading. Apparently, he was Denzel's roommate. I made my way back out to the SOLDIER building to join some of the First Class SOLDIER's snow ball fight.

It was in the enclosed court yard where the blizzard was not as bad. I only joined in because I knew trying to made it to Seventh Heaven was out of the question in this weather, even though I missed the gang. They would understand, because unless I really did want to die in a motorcycle accident, I needed to stay at the WRO building.

I wondered if I would see Storm with all the other Firsts, but he never did come out for the snowball fight. He was probably heading over to be with Riku and enjoy some family time. If I now knew anything about Storm, it was that he valued family above all else. The snow ball fight and other activity's lasted most of the day and, before I knew it, it was six o'clock.

Genesis, Sephiroth and Angeal offered to take me out for some Christmas spirits, however, I knew I would have to disappoint them and shook my head in Genesis' direction. "There's a Christmas tradition I need to uphold tonight." Before Genesis could open his mouth to argue I quickly added, "And I cannot do it drunk."

"Well, alright, if you're sure. Come on, Seph, Angeal, we are going to get drunk and celebrate. You coming, brother?" Genesis asked, turning in Sora's direction.

"No, you know my tradition, brother, and I can't get drunk either."

"Just wanted to offer you the invitation in case you would be willing to break tradition for once. Stay safe tonight, the weather is really bad."

As the trio walked off to head for the nearest bar, I turned to Sora, my curiosity aroused. "What are you going to be doing out in the blizzard?"

"I'm going to go flying. The snow and cold really makes for a refreshing flight. It clears my head for the upcoming year."

"You fly in this weather?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes," he answered with a smile. "Angels can fly easily in bad weather because our wings are strong, but we're still susceptible to get colds and hypothermia, so I can't be out for long tonight."

"Well, just be careful." As Sora smiled brightly at me, the memory of my earlier conversation with Storm came to mind. "Sora, do you know anything about the Angel's mark?"

Taken aback, Sora just stood there for a moment, looking at me strangely before finally speaking. "Well, yes, I know a lot about it. The mark is kind of something every Angel knows about, but, more importantly, how do you know about it?" he asked, a small frown appearing around his mouth.

"I met another Angel today and he said I had been marked by an Angel. I know it's not you or him, so who else is an Angel in SOLDIER?"

Looking down at the snow beneath his feet, Sora sighed. "Not a whole lot and none of them you know, so they couldn't have placed the mark upon you. An Angel's mark is only used when the Angel wants to be bound to one person for all eternity. It is rare because if the marked person were to ever die, the Angel would die as well. The marked individual would also be granted immortality from the Angel in question. Whoever has marked you, Angel of Strife, truly loves you."

Stunned silly would be a light term to explain what I was feeling at that moment. The immortality was nothing new; I was already doomed to that because of Hojo. It was more who had done it that concerned me because Zack was the only one who had ever kissed me, Zack was the only person who never wanted to be parted from me and Zack was in love with me.

The realization that hit me with the force of a freight train left shook me to my very core. "That's impossible," I breathed, my eyes wide.

A confused look passed across Sora's face. "What's impossible?"

It was absolutely impossible. Zack could not have gone through the dark reversal without my knowledge. I had read the section on dark reversals in my new book on Angels between snow ball fights and it had said the dark reversal was highly violent and the Angel in question took a week to fully recover from it. Zack had never expressed those symptoms. Most importantly of all, if he was really an Angel, he would not have died on that cliff.

"Angel...? Strife... Cloud, are you okay?"

"The only person I can think of that would leave a mark like that is a hundred percent SOLDIER and has never shown any Angelic tendencies."

"Well, you know your friends best, but, if I were you, I would ask them just in case. The Angel's mark is nothing to play around with. Oh, just to let you know, I would not expect my brother back tonight. He will probably be staying in Sephiroth's room."

"Thanks for the information and the heads up," I told him.

Nodding, Sora unfurled his wings, a glorious sight to behold, and took off towards the skies.

_Nothing will ever match the sight of an Angel in flight,_ I thought with finality as I watched him.

They truly did take on almost mythical beauty when they had their wings out. However, as he left, I heard him shout. "Good luck with him and give Zack my regards!"

Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****

Making my way back to the empty apartment, I could not help but smile as I saw all of SOLDIER celebrating. Passing by one room, I couldn't help but shake my head at the sight of Lazard and Tseng dancing slowly to Christmas songs. Their lethargic swaying more than told me that they were both well into the Christmas spirits.

Storm, Riku and, to my surprise, Denzel were all eating in the cafeteria together, talking quietly when I passed by. I was glad Denzel was making friends, it would make him less of a target to the other boys. I trusted Riku and Storm to watch out for him.

Finally reaching my destination, I opened the door and made my way to the fireplace. Placing logs in and casting a low level fire to light them, I sat down on the couch and started to talk about the year. This tradition was one Zack and I always did back in Shinra. It started after a long Christmas mission, when we got back all we wanted to do was sit by a fire and talk. So that year and the year after we would share both new stories and old ones celebrating the year by remembrance.

Now, like every year since losing Zack, I talked to the fire and reflected on the year by myself. Talking to the fireplace instead of my best friend turned to the love of my life. It almost felt like everything had been a dream and that Zack was really still dead. Except for the fact that I was sitting in a WRO installation working as a SOLDIER again, which was something I promised I would never do.

The more I looked into the past, the more I felt my emotions building and soon a single tear fell down my face followed by another and then another. I cried for Aerith and her death, I cried for all those who lost their lives in Sector Seven and Midgar during Meteor, I cried for all those in Nibelheim. I cried for those who were lost to Geostigma, but, most of all, I cried for Zack. After everything that had happened to me with Sephiroth, Jenova, Hojo, all of it. I had never mourned the past or felt as lost as I did as I cried myself to sleep by the flames.

Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****Silver*****Headed*****Confusion*****

I woke suddenly not even a hour later by a loud crash. Stunned, I got up off the couch and looked around. The fire had died down to a bright smolder and, despite my enhanced eyesight, shadows filled the small living room. Shuffling sounds came from the other side of the door in the hallway and I groaned, rolling my eyes. It was probably one of the guys too drunk to open the door. Still, I grabbed my sword and swung it into its holster as I went to the door. It never paid to get lax in this environment.

Walking over to the door, I opened it and someone immediately fell into my arms. I grunted as I staggered backwards a few steps, gasping at the frosty chill that was seeping off of whoever I was holding. I immediately took notice of the violent shivers racking their body and quickly pulled them into the room and over to the fire. Whoever it was had been outside and been out there for a long time. My first thought was of Sora. However, after setting them down on the couch and rekindling the fire, I finally recognized the shivering figure, raven black spiky hair and all.

"Zack, what have you done to yourself this time?"

A large tremor was the only response I got. Whatever had happened, Zack needed to get warm or I was going to lose him again. Quickly making my way over to him, I sat down on the couch and pulled him into my lap, trying to share body heat. Genesis' favorite blanket was set out on the back of the couch and, figuring he was not going to be using it anytime soon, I bundled Zack up, rubbing his arms to help him get warm.

After a few minutes, Zack gave a shaky reply to my earlier question. "I p-promised to be h-hear for you t-tonight, Spiky."

Running my fingers through his raven locks, I made him look me in the eyes and glared at him, needing him to understand. "You almost died again tonight, Zack. You still put yourself in danger! No promise will ever be worth your life to me." Panic swept through me at the very thought of losing him again. I held him a little tighter as another tear slowly made its way down my cheek.

"Sorry C-Chocobo...made it, though." A small smile lit up his face as he looked at me, full of life and, most of all, love. He reached out with shaking fingers and wiped away the tear. His icy hand remained there cradling my cheek as I leaned into it.

"Zack." Just his name on my lips sent tingles through my body, making me hold him tighter. Suddenly the outrageousness of all this hit me. "Zack... How in Shiva's name did you manage to get back in a blizzard on Christmas?"

Zack sighed and let his hand drop. He was silent for a while as he stared up at the ceiling. The conversation between Sora and I flashed through my mind then and yet another shiver ran down my back, his parting words echoing in my ears.

"_Good luck with him and give Zack my regards." _Could Zack really be an Angel? No, that...he..I would have known if he was.

When Zack spoke, his voice was quiet and slow, but without the earlier chattering as he was warming up now. "I got here the only way I could. I'm kinda scared to tell you because I know your past."

Shock and confusion made my brows furrow and I was silent for a few minutes, listening to Zack's breathing. It just did not make sense. Why would my past make me react negatively towards Zack? I loved him and I would never leave his side no matter what. It was time to let Zack know that.

"When you left for Wutai, you told me that you loved me."

He stiffened in shock at the change of subject, but then nodded cautiously. "Well, yeah, Chocobo, and I meant everything I said. If you're not comfortable with - " I interrupted him by leaning down and speaking softly in his ear.

"Zackary Fair, I love you with all that I am. You mean everything to me and always have. I'm sorry I am just now realizing it. When you died, you took a lot of me with you. I tried to keep you here by becoming you in my mind just to keep sane. It was not just the after affects of mako poisoning. In the end, reality hit and I got some of my own identity back."

Zack looked up at me with hope shining in his eyes. "Chocobo..."

"Zack, you hold a lot of who I really am and now that you're back I can be that person again. You really do bring out the best in me, Zack."

A shiver, this time not from the cold, came over Zack as he turned in my lap and pressed his lips firmly to mine. Each caress of his lips was like a breath of life and his hands tangled in my spikes like a life line in a storm, his legs straddling mine in an embrace of love.

"Cloud…"My name, breathy and deep, crossed my ears as we broke apart. "I love you too. You're my life. Why do you think I gave my life to protect you, Spiky? It's because you mean more to me than my own life. Seeing you alive and happy is all that will ever truly matter to me."

"Zack," I moaned into his chest. "Don't ever leave me again."

"You don't have to worry about that, Chocobo. You're stuck with me."And he looked down at me with the smile that I had always loved, making my breath catch in my throat.

"Zack, the past is the past. I know that now. Also, nothing will ever change how I feel about you. So, please, how did you made it here so quickly when all the airships are grounded due to Christmas and the weather?"

Taking a deep breath, Zack nodded, almost as if coming to a decision, and slowly got up, motioning me to follow him. Very confused, I followed him out onto the apartment balcony, shivering in the cold. The blizzard had let up to heavy snowfall, but the temperature was still dangerously close to zero.

"Zack, we need to go back inside."

"I know, but like you said, Cloud, the past is the past and you need to know this. Unfortunately, it's a little too big at first to show you inside. Can you imagine Genesis' reaction if I broke anything? No, thank you. I'll brave the cold, Spike."

"What could be so big that - " And now it was my turn to be cut off.

Bright and the color of a pure blue forest pool, two feathered wings sprouted from Zack's back stretching to the heavens. A halo of soft light surrounded him as it lit up the night around us. The snow softly falling around his tall, winged figure made for a mythical sight that I could not move my eyes away from. Zack's skin was so white it put the snow around him to shame, but it was his eyes that captivated me the most. His bright blue irises where so full of anxiety it cut straight into my heart to see him so unhappy. Not my puppy so full of confidence and optimism.

After a moment of stunned silence, I stumbled forward, reaching out with trembling hands, and pulled Zack into an embrace. Quickly, my still warm lips found his cold ones. One hand ran through his hair while the other found one of his wings, tentatively and gently stroking the silky feathers, making him jump. Pulling back slightly, I looked into his eyes again. It was true somewhere along the way Zack had become an Angel. How I had no clue. I barely registered the words that came out of my numb lips.

"You're an Angel."

"Yeah, I'm an Angel," he replied, his voice a mere whisper. "Came as quite a shock to me too, trust me. My folks never let onto that one. Hell, I found out not long after I got resurrected. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Cloud. I don't know how much you know about Angels, but I'm willing to tell you everything."

Stunned and in awe, I laid my head on his chest, listening to the reassuring beat of Zack's heart. "I've been talking with Sora and Genesis about Angels and know a fair amount." I paused, taking a deep breath."When did the dark reversal happen?"

Zack's shoulders shook as he chuckled. "Wow, you do know a lot if you're familiar with the dark reversal."

"I'm one of the few who know Sora is an Angel."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're really easy to talk to, Cloud. You're just..."

"Pure and untainted despite all that has happened to me? Sora said that when he told me what he was."

Zack's head fell onto my shoulder and a great sigh left him. "He's absolutely right. You're so beautiful, Cloud, inside and out." Before I could respond, Zack's lips found my neck, giving it a slow, loving kiss. Warmth spread through me and I could feel my face heating up.

The blizzard was starting to worsen again and I pulled Zack inside, trying to banish the embarrassing blush. "It's getting too cold outside. You can tell me all that I've missed once your warm again. Can you put your wings away inside or do you have to do it now?"

"I can wait and put them away inside without breaking anything, Spike," he said with a grin.

Closing the balcony doors, I pulled him towards the couch. Lying down first, I pulled Zack down on top of me, letting him snuggle into me. The blanket and Zack's beautiful wings provided all the warmth we needed.

With one hand around his waist and the other stroking his left wing, I gently nipped at Zack's ear, nuzzling my face into his neck. Zack shivered and I was happy to see a definitive blush on his own face. Lips suddenly enveloped mine, moving slowly yet with more force than the last time. I moaned softly against his lips as his hands ran through my hair. Never had I felt as whole as I did at that exact moment. Breaking away, Zack gave me a look that clearly said I was his alone and no one else would ever come between us.

"I'll never leave your side again, Cloud," he swore, locking gazes with me."I'm yours till the day you die and beyond into the Lifestream. I can't live without you, as you have seen before. I just kinda waste away. You're the reason my dark reversal was triggered."

I frowned, the feelings of elation over his words turning into dazed confusion."How? Did I do something wrong? What happened, Zack?"

He leaned up and held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Easy, Cloud, you've done absolutely nothing wrong. You're perfect, in fact," he reassured me and breathed in deeply through his nose. "No, my dark reversal was triggered just after I was brought back to life. I was so happy to be back and seeing you was something I just couldn't wait for. I wanted to find you, tell you I loved you and sweep you off your feet. So, after the medical team deemed me healthy, I ran to see Reeve because I knew he would know where you were."

"Reeve is actually really busy and never keeps tabs on me. Rufus would have known more," I told him, sitting up as well.

"Yeah, I noticed. Reeve was in his office talking to Rufus about promotions when I burst in. When I asked…err, well shouted, demanding to know where you were, Reeve looked at Rufus and Rufus told me that you had died and that I was your replacement. That news triggered the dark reversal. I don't ever want to feel like that again. I was mad at Rufus, scared because of what was going on, and so lost without you."

Zack's wings fluttered as a tremor shook his frame. Burying my face into his neck again, I gently let him know I was there and not going anywhere anytime soon. Whispering words of love softly into his ear.

"Thank you, Cloud. After it triggered, I attacked Rufus and if Reeve had not been there I would have even killed him. That night my wings grew in. It takes a few hours after the reversal to grow them I kept calling out for you but you never came. Sora was there for me, but he just wasn't you. After I became an Angel Sora helped me by teaching me everything about them. Some of it I knew instinctively, but I needed to be told everything else. My heart just wasn't in it. I was fading away and it scared Sora because he had no idea why."

"I imagine it must have been rough. So, Sora knew you were an Angel this whole time?"

"I asked him not to tell you. I wanted to tell you on my own time, but I knew your past with winged creatures and I was afraid you would think I was like Sephiroth."

"Zack, I could never hate you."

He nodded. "I know that now, Cloud. But when I found out you were alive...words cannot describe how I felt. I had just found you, miraculously alive, and I was not about to risk ruining that by telling you I had wings."

"Zack, you could be related to Jenova and I would still love you."

"Hmm, now I know I'm not related to Jenova. My mom may have been evil sometimes, but she was definitely not Jenova Caliber."

"Was it her who taught you how to mark what was yours without telling anyone about it?"

"What are you…? Oh, the mark. You know about that, huh?"

"Another Angel let me know I had been marked. Trust me, it came as a shock and I was very confused at the time, but it makes sense now."

Warm lips found mine again and Zack gave a thoughtful hum. "With all these Angels joining SOLDIER, it's probably a good thing I've marked you. Gotta protect what's mine, after all."

A soft squeak that unfortunately sounded suspiciously like a Chocobo's warble came out of my mouth as he nuzzled and nibbled at my neck. "Zack, cut it out! Before you wake something else up and I end up making you mine right on this couch." Blushing deeply I looked away from Zack trying to get my emotions under control.

He pulled back slowly, turned my face towards his, and looked me deep in the eyes. Zack's blue irises had darkened with lust and his checks where also flushed. For a moment, he just looked at me then shook his raven spikes. "Sorry, Chocobo. I'm too tired tonight. Mark me some other time, though, yeah?"

Cheeks flushed redder than Genesis' hair, I nodded and smiled at him, fighting down my budding erection as we laid back down on the couch.

Sighing, Zack shifted into a more comfortable position against me and smiled against my ear. "I do love you, Angel of mine, but we've talked enough by the fire tonight and I'm very tired. Can I just sleep here?"

Slipping my arms around him, I nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "I would not have it any other way, Zack


End file.
